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Fire chief: service volunteers need to be recognized |
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Friday, 30 October 2009 |
By ANDREW MARTIN
HOPE VALLEY – A local fire chief is very concerned with a recent report from the state expenditure council that cites the high costs of fire protection in Rhode Island.
Hope Valley-Wyoming Fire Chief Frederick A. Stanley expressed concern over the report via a three-page letter sent to The Times. He said the document from John C. Simmons, the executive director of the state Public Expenditure Council, could have an adverse effect on area volunteer fire services.
“This report has failed to recognize the hundreds of thousands of dollars saved each year by the men and women who volunteer to provide these valuable services in our state,” Stanley said.
Stanley is also the president of the Rhode Island Southern Firemen’s League, which represents 20 fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) departments across Washington County and parts of Kent County.
Within that group, he said the fire districts and associations are staffed by volunteers who “put their lives on the line everyday” like paid firefighters.
Those volunteers, Stanley continued, take great pride in their identity, equipment and accomplishments. “And when you take away their identity, you’re most likely going to lose them,” he said. “This would then, as it has throughout the country, [result] in having paid firefighters to provide these services in place of volunteers.”
As a result, Stanley said the cost to taxpayers will greatly increase, and this would occur, he added, if the General Assembly “forces” the volunteer fire districts and departments to consolidate without the full support of the departments and volunteers involved in the process.
Stanley said he sees little or no advantage for consolidation or reorganization within the Southern Firemen’s League’s coverage area. And, he continued, this is coming from a fire chief who is known for his willingness to accept and implement change during his 45-year tenure.
“I’m not opposed to consolidation. If it is going to reduce costs and still be able to maintain the same level of services we are presently providing,” he said. “But using good common sense, there is no way you can save tax dollars by consolidation if you are going to replace volunteers with paid firefighters, which is most likely going to occur.”
A major reason for Stanley not seeing any ways to further consolidate is the immense amount of sharing and joint purchasing that already takes place within the firemen’s league.
For example, there is the regional dispatching center at the Westerly Ambulance Corp. that serves districts and EMS departments in Charlestown, Hopkinton, Richmond, and Westerly. That consolidation has led to both great savings and improved services, Stanley explained.
There is also the regional HazMat Team service from the Hope Valley-Wyoming Fire District and two area teams in Westerly and South Kingstown. Stanley said those are funded through Homeland Security grants and work under the visage of the state Emergency Management Agency.
The league, he said, also shares training facilities and training grant funds while jointly purchasing communications equipment. Other savings are realized through joint monthly training and educational seminars.
Another accomplishment in this area is the fact that accident and sickness insurance coverage is provided for 20 area fire and EMS departments through a joint policy. Not only does that provide “the best coverage available in New England,” Stanley said, but it saves a great deal of money.
The mutual aid system created through the league also results in savings for homeowners and businesses, he said, because it has greatly reduced property loss and thus lowered insurance rates.
In his closing words, Stanley issued a challenge to area fire chiefs, officers, boards of directors, and firefighters:
“These are tough times,” he said, “and if the volunteer system is going to survive, and you want to continue maintaining your identity, [then] you must get involved.” |
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