Tis, I agree with you on dis-agreeing with the tax and spend attitude of past within our towns and moreover, government.
However, you can't stop progress by not investing in equipment and technology that lasts up to 20 years and improves the lives of so many in our towns. My post to you earlier stated that mutual aid between towns benefits all and I firmly believe that it does.It should "not be worried about". It would be irresponsible to deny a smaller town the aid of protection that a specialized peice of equipment provides. We as firefighters look beyond the tax dollar and see how we can get to an emergency the quickest and safest. All the while putting in place special pieces of equipment that may make our efforts safer and faster for all. Anyway, a town that doesn't have the need for a full time specialized piece will call on other towns who own and have the need for the use of that specific piece, as in the case of Ladder trucks, hydroplanes etc. Mutual aid works, and it works well. When a town gets called upon too much on their piece of equipment, one chief goes to the other chief and has a discussion. In most cases the chief without the piece, seeing the increased need, begins the process of buying one. Please remember, the firefighters and police that use these pieces of equipmnet are in most cases tax paying residents. In this economy, we agree that our funds need to be streched as far as we can.
|