Friday, September 08, 2006
2007 Connecticut Firefighter's Convention... in West Haven?
An article about the 2006 Firefighters Convention in yesterday's Valley Gazette makes mention that next year's convention will be held in West Haven... I wonder who PAYS for that? This year's hosts are Ansonia, Derby AND Shelton... I guess because we have 3 separate departments, they won't need to team up with anyone... sigh. I guess I should look forward to the parade...
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4 comments:
Hmmm. Better look at the Overtime budget, now the July 4th fireworks will have to move to a Thursday in September....... What a great venue to display the absolute ridiculousness of West Haven having 3 fire districts....
No one will argue that firefighters have a dangerous job. However, they chose that profession, just as much as a businessman chooses to work in an office in a suit, or a newscaster chooses to be in the public eye.
I really don't think that people here are bashing the fire departments. They are, however, bashing the redundant costs that our multiple fire districts have. Even a city the size of LA has 1 fire chief; Milford, which is much larger in area, has a budget that is 1/3 that of our three districts.
Also, you shouldn't confuse the departments with districts. No one that I know is thinking that we should close stationhouses. Instead, people are thinking that having three separate districts, three separate administrations, and three separate budgets are redundant. Just as with any business there is a fixed cost of running, there is a certain amount of administrative overhead which could be shared by all three districts.
You pay for all of the city, but there are more people to pay for it!
Let me give you a simple example, with made up numbers, so that the math is easy. If you have three districts:
100 people $1000 = $10 each
100 people $1000 = $10 each
100 people $1000 = $10 each
if you have one district, and NOTHING else changed, you'd have:
300 people $3000 = $10 each
Now, if there is duplicated functionality in each district, of say, $150 in each district, in the consolidated example, you wouldn't have to pay $300, so it would be:
300 poeople $2700 = $9 each.
Again, these are just simple numbers; but in reality, it does add up.
whfdff - I think that's just plain rude, and wrong (regarding the comments at Dunkin Donuts, etc.). I also hope you don't take my comments the wrong way. I truely appreciate the job that firefighters do - it's one that I respect, and one that I would not be capable of myself.
As you and I have discussed, a good portion of the problem right now in this city is one of lack of information.
The other problem which we seek to understand and try to find ways of alleviating in this blog is the huge increase in taxes (for the second time in 15 years) that has been hoisted onto the property owner's shoulders. Problems with the city hall accounting has put a huge strain on the taxpayers. I know that isn't the fault of fire districting, and that money is entirely separate from the property tax money... but it also isnt the fault of the middle school kids who no longer have sports at school. Nor is it the fault of the senior citizen living on a fixed income, some of whom are now trying to sell homes they've lived a lifetime in, and never planned to leave.
In the end, we're all paying the price of the mistakes that have been made by others, and we all have to work together to try and find ways of lessening the strain.
One idea that has been pitched is the consolidation of the fire districts to keep redundant costs to a minimum. I don't know if that is feasible or even a good idea -- but it is being explored as one suggestion. If we don't talk about it, we'll never know.
If (and only if) consolidation WOULD be good in the long run, it seems to me that you could even grandfather all of those who are currently chiefs or firefighters in the three districts. No one currently employed would have to let go, but when their position became open again, if it was a redundancy (i.e. the work really could be done by one or a lesser position), it just wouldn't have to be refilled.
... but I'm way ahead of myself. My feeling is that it needs to be thoroughly discussed and understood. That's what I thought was going to happen when I read about Paul Frosolone's group. Sadly, that's the last I've heard about them, and I worry that nothing is being discussed. This town needs to understand the facts - something it's been highly short on for many years.
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