Fire Departments can change and remain safe

 In response to the Article in the Mercurial

Using a smaller vehicle to respond to calls for help is not, on its surface a dangerous thing. It is a matter of best use of limited resources.

In Volunteer companies the firefighters are not always at the firehouse but coming from other locations in response. One member gets the truck, as chauffeur, a few join him/her and the rest begin their duties at the incident. It is not as efficient as all leaving the station together; coordinating the plan and being able to start as soon as they arrive but it is a method that has worked for more than a hundred years. And in Danbury’s case the firefighters are not coming from other professions but just from some other location in the City, with equipment and two way communications and coordinated training.

If there was a magic money tree and all of the men, women and resources could be picked off of it at will, then responding with the best would be the best. But in life compromises must be made. In light of public safety, caution must be on the side of people, however safety comes in many forms. Often the way to be the most safe is to share all of the resources across all of the citizens. Not everyone gets to have what they perceive they NEED. We cannot be ‘perfectly’ safe from fire emergency if that means pot holes in all of our streets stop the firetruck’s advance.

If the Fire Department got all of its personnel and equipment needs fulfilled, and the Police department got the same and the Board of Education could pay teachers what they deserve for their hard, demanding jobs, we, the citizens would be staggering under the cost and we might not be any better off.

With Chief Herald’s response plan there will be times when equipment and personnel are out of place. Other companies will have to cover, from career or perhaps volunteer or out of City companies. This has happened as a regular course of action since the beginning of fire departments. Anecdotal stories should not be the foundation of policy making. They simply point to the necessity of reviewing this new response plan, to ensure it is delivering the desired effect. If it is, then good for the Department on finding a way to extend the life of valuable equipment with a minimum of  risk to citizen’s and firefighter’s lives. If it is not and they return to the dispatch of a full engine company, then good for the Department for trying to find a solution and knowing when to retreat and revaluate, (that is a mark of a superb incident commander).

I had been a fire fighter and Chief, in Newtown for 20 years. I fully understand the demands on time, talent and resources. Volunteers have to beg twice, once at town hall and again at the public’s door. Yet our training and commitment to safety is the same as our career brothers. We all had, and have, to learn to do what needs to be done given the tools at hand. Nobody wants to to put lives or safety at stake. We all want the best for everyone we are sworn to serve. When the financial well begin to run dry. brave, creative officers rise to the occasion to meet the issues. Danbury has that officer in Chief Herald.

Give the plan a chance to succeed and then discuss the merits of the situation.