To The Editor:
At the April 14 full Legislative meeting I requested Chairman Kevin Gardner have the idea of the formation of a County Wide Fire District be brought up for discussion at the next Public Safety Committee meeting.
In recent years the ranks of volunteer firefighters have been getting smaller. The reasons behind it are many but the results increase the requirements of more and more volunteer fire companies to respond to fire calls. The safety of the firefighters is of the upmost importance therefore with the lack of enough firefighters from any one company multiple companies are required.
In 2012 a campaign to recruit more volunteer firefighters was launched. “Is there a fire in you” was looking to help replenish the ranks. In the 1990s there were more than 120,000 volunteer firefighters in the state. By the year 2010 the number had been reduced to around 85,000. These kinds of numbers put the safety of the firefighters and homeowner at a high risk.
Just this week Granby Volunteer Fire District ran an ad looking for recruits.
There are more rescue calls now than before. The material used in building today’s houses cause any house fires of today to burn hotter and require a faster response time.
These have been just a few of the reasons a County Wide Fire District should be formed at this time.
I would hope that the idea would be discussed and moved forward.
Is it the answer?
We won’t know if we don’t investigate.
We have to do whatever is needed to help insure the safety of both the volunteer firefighters and our rural and city homeowners.
We have two full-time fire departments in the county and it might be time to see how they can help. Mutual aide has been good but it might be time to move forward.
I will say that the formation of a County Wide Fire District would not only help the rural community but it would be a big help to both the city of Fulton and Oswego.
The formation of a County Wide Fire District may stop the idea of dissolving the city of Fulton.
I am hoping I will receive what I asked for.
Legislator Frank Castiglia Jr.
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The two paid fire departments are bankrupting the two cities and you want us to do the same in the towns? I don’t think so.
County wide fire district would have to looked at very carefully. If the true idea is to spread the city of Fulton financial problems to the adjoining towns then that would not be in the best interest to the tax payers of those adjoining towns. City of Fulton’s fiscal problems cannot be solved by cost sharing initiatives to other communities.