Weighing in on PI’s fire coverage issue
To the editor:
In December 2011, the Presque Isle City Council passed a resolve to reduce the Fire Department staffing from four-person crews to three-person crews. In an effort to comply with that resolve, the 2013 budget calls for the elimination of a position, changing from a 24-hour to 14-hour schedule for two positions, and heavy reliance on a student live-in program to provide coverage for the evenings.
There are a number of concerns these changes bring. In order to provide living quarters for the students, the Safety Building must be added on to, the students must be outfitted with gear and uniforms, all of this coming at a substantial cost. There would be no way to predict if a potential student would possess any fire training or would require such before they perform any tasks on a fire call. It is true student live-in programs have been successful in other areas; however they are normally in close proximity to educational facilities offering a fire science program. Currently, a fire science program is not offered in northern Maine, likely making it more difficult to find applicants truly interested in helping with firefighting and not just free housing.
Between calculating the cost of covering the open hours until the student live-in program starts (possibly in the fall of 2013), adding onto the building, outfitting of any potential students, it far exceeds the cost of continuing to provide service with four-person crews. Outside of the cost factor there is a safety factor to consider. Four-person crews, of full-time, experienced, fully-trained firefighters offer the residents and visitors of the city of Presque Isle the best possible protection.
Traci Place, business agent
Teamsters Union Local No. 340
