Pushing Back – - – And Not

WE’VE BEEN WATCHING AND ENCOURAGING fire and rescue agencies to go directly to the citizens and tell them what happens when you short-change public safety services by cutting staffing and putting equipment out of service.

Many mayors and city managers refuse to consider that you just can’t do more with less and they continue to balance budgets by slashing fire, rescue and police agencies while expecting them to maintain the same level of service.

Some fire chiefs, though, are starting to become more vocal in their objections to this type of fiscal planning and are “telling it like it is” to the public.

One recent example comes from Arlington County, Virginia, where the F & R dept. operates seven paramedic ambulances that are so busy that there are many times each day where there are no units available for the next call.  While they are part of a strong mutual-aid pact with the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, there are some days where even they are pushed and the nearest unit to a call in Arlington may be 10 miles away.

[photopress:arlington_patch.jpg,full,centered]

Fire Chief James Schwartz had plans to put an eighth unit is service during peak times, but had to postpone it because the county board of supervisors did not fund it.  Chief Schwartz, though, has been keeping key community leaders informed of what has been happening and they are acting as his surrogates in getting the message out and pressuring the board.

In an article published today in the Sun Gazette newspaper, they are speaking out:

John Antonelli, a veteran civic watchdog, said it was “pretty important” to get another EMS unit on the streets.

“Arlington has always been short on medic units,” he said. “We need transport units, and we need them mostly on the south side. Medical calls are up big-time.”

Tim Wise, president of the Arlington County Taxpayers Association, wants to know what the board plans to do.  He says, “… if the County Board thinks the cost of an eighth unit should be borne by general taxpayers, then its priority should be weighed against all other government services.  If it’s considered by the board to be a higher priority than cutting grass in Arlington’s parks, then it should say that.”

Read the entire article HERE.

*  *  *  *  *

BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PROGRESSIVE TOWN of Longmont, Colorado, is becoming more “efficient” by just eliminating the fire chief’s position and turning the responsibilities of the FD over to the police chief.

[photopress:longmont_ral11us.jpg,full,centered]
photo by Ral11us

When the current Fire Chief Steve Trunck retires next month, the city manager Gordon Pedrow will be appointing the police chief as the Director of Public Safety.  Pedrow says that “the move means less bureaucracy, more efficiency and an opportunity to do things a different — and better — way.”

He did not say why it would be “better” to have a police officer make decisions on how best to extinguish fires when a major event will require him to do just that.  During the next month, Police Chief Mike Butler will be meeting and undergoing a transistion period with Trunck.

“(Trunck) and I have had offices next to each other for 14 years,” Butler said. “We understand what each other does; we’ve shared our stories.”  Firegeezer finds it interesting that in Longmont, Colorado, all it takes is a good round of story-telling to learn what it takes to become a fire chief.

The Loveland Reporter-Herald has the full REPORT.