Volunteer fire departments

[hfd170]

Should the fire departments combine houses and trucks to save tax payer money ?

[WNYresident]

Should the fire departments combine houses and trucks to save tax payer money ?

Yes and no. You need to review what is there, response times and equipment you have to work with. Equipment needs to be maintained but that doesn't mean it needs to be replaced just because. All equipment does get to a point where maintenance might get more costly than purchasing something new.

[hfd170]

I am speaking of volly houses not buffalo houses.

[4248]

The way you wrote your "question" is causing the difficulty for someone to answer. More facts are needed or is this a trap question ? Like area involved - number of houses - fire fighters - cost of yearly budget and so on. That would help interested parties create intelligent answers - assuming that's what your looking for !

[gorja]

Should the fire departments combine houses and trucks to save tax payer money ?

Is this in Cheektowaga or Depew?

[hfd170]

Let's start off with Cheektowaga. For example Doyle FD sold there ladder truck with out even having specs or bids out for a new one so the district did not have a ladder truck for two years. A neighboring department was on automatic mutual aid.
So if a department can be on automatic mutual aid why spend half million dollars on a new ladder truck when not needed.
Seems like a waste of tax payers dollars.
My question is would it be beneficial to rid the excess trucks, buildings, and combined departments together.unofficial 90% of calls in Cheektowaga are medical calls but fire departments in the town don't have any ambulances. The town contracts
Rural metro. I also feel that the police department should be trained EMTS to respond to certain calls since they should already be on the road. Let me know what and how you feel about the thoughts please be honest as you all usually are.

[Colonel Sun]

http://www.erie.gov/comptroller/pdfs..._June_2010.pdf

This is LONG. Review the maps ate end of the document. THEY are the real prize.

This is old and somewhat outdated (2010), but still worth your time.

[4248]

On some of this you seem to be preaching at the choir - not a bad thing !

Part of what your stating is logical - Politics forbids the use of logic. Also you already woke up two maybe three Unions with your ideas/statements.

It would make sense to train officers to be EMT's - the true question is - how much more are you willing to pay them for that duty.

Mutual aid could be a standard practice - but that too would be considered "Logical" and possibly cut into the "Party Voter Blocks" - what that means is most Volee houses are Politically aligned with local controlling Parties. They feel beholding to the Officials who write their budget approvals. So Elected Officials in return keep them feeling they own voter loyalty to the Controlling Members - Get it - Vote for us - get your guys out to help our committee and candidates - and the Officials all but guarantee your budget gets approved.

But that you should and probably do understand already !

The same thing with the Rural Metro deals - they are a National Company - they are performing poorly all over America - yet they do have vary deep pockets - politicians love deep pockets.

It can be changed ! What do you think ?

[Save Us]

Should the fire departments combine houses and trucks to save tax payer money ?

Yes, if it can be done safely.

[WNYresident]

Let's start off with Cheektowaga. For example Doyle FD sold there ladder truck with out even having specs or bids out for a new one so the district did not have a ladder truck for two years. A neighboring department was on automatic mutual aid.
So if a department can be on automatic mutual aid why spend half million dollars on a new ladder truck when not needed.
Seems like a waste of tax payers dollars.
My question is would it be beneficial to rid the excess trucks, buildings, and combined departments together.unofficial 90% of calls in Cheektowaga are medical calls but fire departments in the town don't have any ambulances. The town contracts
Rural metro. I also feel that the police department should be trained EMTS to respond to certain calls since they should already be on the road. Let me know what and how you feel about the thoughts please be honest as you all usually are.

How many calls came in that require a ladder truck? If there already is one ladder truck in town if needed you do have a point why purchase another one. that one ladder truck should be located more in the center of the town if there is a volly hall to park it. This way the response time would be shorter going someplace in the town versus driving from one side of the town to another. Right?

I don't have time today but we can take the addresses of each volly hall and put them on google maps. Make an over head along with equipment locations and distances.

[hfd170]

4248
I guess I'm starting to get it. As for the police and training and adding to there duties that would have to be part of patrol that would be added to there job description. For the politics about mutual aid we the tax
payer would have to step in no reason to have so many unused trucks in this town coasting the tax payers.

[hfd170]

Wny
That would be beneficial. But where do you go from there

[WNYresident]

You mean to tell me what I stated hasn't already been done by the volly halls to begin with?

They have to base their coverage, equipment needs and budget based on something. Not just what can be taken in the form of money from the town board in support of up coming elections. Right?

I remember in the past there was talk about raising money to buy infrared scopes/cameras to help locate people in burning building at about $8000 each. That was like a no brainer but couldn't figure out why they didn't have $8000 for something like that when I see a line item on my tax bill. I think it was upwards of 300 dollars or so. That is just one house. Add it up and makes you wonder where does all that money goes. How many years do you take to pay off a garage to park the toys?

I think each and every volly hall in Erie County should be FORCED to go through a full audit. Everything. I respect everything they do but end you need accountability when it comes to spending tax payers money.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Yes, if it can be done safely.

That's the key.

I am assuming that you need to have X coverage for Y land mass and Z population in a town. Consolidating houses sounds great until it's a liability for the town in the far reaching areas of the coverage map.

Here is the thing about Volly Fire Companies. They are volunteers! I know people complain about the 'CC for townies' but these people give up a lot of personal time to provide coverage. The alternative is a paid department like Buffalo and that's going to be way more expensive.

Do I think they could be better managed? Absolutely. Maybe do a merger of all of the fire companies in some areas to save costs? But again, you have to provide something in return for the men/women who give their time. If the 'average Joe' starts to complain too much..the vollys are just going to say f' it and tell the town to go pound sand. Then you're looking at pensions and full time wages.

[Colonel Sun]

You mean to tell me what I stated hasn't already been done by the volly halls to begin with?

I think each and every volly hall in Erie County should be FORCED to go through a full audit. Everything. I respect everything they do but end you need accountability when it comes to spending tax payers money.

Ok, ask our Erie County Comptroller to do just that. I think it's a good idea.