Reno Fire Department.
Photo © Stan White
It seems that the Council is about to ask citizens to vote on whether or not to have three or four firefighters assigned to a Reno fire engine. When I first heard about this, it didn't really register. I know nothing about operating fire departments and hey, it's not my job. The vast majority of Renoites can say the same thing. So, asked a recent editorial in the Reno Gazette-Journal, why would we be asked to make such a critical decision, one that has life and death ramifications? The Council has access to all the information they need to make such a decision, including that of the highly paid Reno Fire Department managers. As the RGJ editorial pointed out, these people need to get it together and muster up the courage to make the tough decision. We aren't paying them to run for political cover and pass stuff off to the citizens, which looks a lot like a thinly disguised setup for blaming someone else if the plan doesn't work.
I'll go on record as saying I don't like being put on the spot to decide something about which I know virtually nothing. What is your opinion?
Source: Reno Gazette-Journal.
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Comments
The citizens must educate themselves with the National Fire Protection Associations, National Standards on Staffing of Fire Apparatus in the United States. It recommends safe staffing levels should be 4 to 5 on engine companies, 5 to 6 on truck companies, with at least a minimum of 4 firefighters per apparatus. The City Council is voted into facilitate decisions for the betterment of the community. A City is there to provide for the health and safety of their citizens, not to pass the buck in case disaster hits. Provide the highest level of service to your community. The City of Reno depends on tourism to exist, if you provide poor service, your citizens and tourist will leave for better communities
Most civilians do not understand what the operations of the Fire Department entails.
Most politicians do not understand what the operations of the Fire Department entails.
This is an excellent opportunity for the Reno FD to educate the citizenry.. the question is… will the politicians allow it, and will the citizenry listen?
We watch with interest, dispair and on guard for those political decisions affecting the health, safety and welfare of our neighbours to the south from north of the 49th parallel.
What flows from the political gaping maw down your way is eventually championed up ours by a like politician, council or government that having misspent, mismanaged and misrepresented it’s constituency makes “hard decisions”, “tough calls” or passes the buck come election time.
Think about this. Your country was born battling oppressive taxes with questionable benefit. How is it 234 years later?
Monarchies, democracies, republics all have one thing in common: People who of questionable worth, knowledge, training and education make decisions based on how best to remain in power.
That said how many of you would rather have a $300,000 skate board park, subsidized day care, “interpretive sculpture” or some other waste of your tax dollars than the following:
1. Policed safe streets
2. Efficient and caring hospitals
3. Competent and appropriately staffed Fire and EMS services
4. Clean water
5. Cleaner sewage treatment
6. Roads that aren’t worthy of a Baja Buggy
Seriously, while the middle class becomes an endangered species isn’t it about time to elect normal, competent, committed folks to run your city with one mandate:
Make it better, keep it better rather than GET RE-ELECTED!
Rant over, I’ll get off my soap box and remember – you’re not alone out there.
This is called ‘Socialism’;
City council member …
“Give me your money, but don’t expect me to earn or account for it!”
Reno is trying to do the 3 shell game on us,.. hoping that we’ll just ignore their stupidity and drink the koolaid. I’m SO GLAD that I DON’T live in the “City” of Reno.
The fact is that firefighting cannot work by just sending an engine and one firefighter out on a call. He can’t go in a building alone, if he got in trouble who would know?
In the end it would cost more because you need to send 2 engines with less manpower to do the same job! It would cost less to send a basic 4 man crew with one engine than 2 engines with a total of 4, that’s just basic logic.