There was a feature a few weeks ago on the FIREHOUSE.COM website, (May 2, 2008) about how the NY State legislature is looking at the way fire districts are run in the state. The commission, it is reported, wants to “say no” to the fire service because of some significant problems seen in only one small area of the state. The article talks about how they were upset with Taj Mahal stations, expensive equipment and apparatus, and that it was time to show the fire service who is the boss.
A note to the commission…all we get from NY State is “NO”, “NO” and “Hell NO”.
We need more state training time….”NO”.
We need help in purchasing needed gear and equipment. “No”.
We need training courses that don’t take our new members 6+ months of 2 to 3 nights per week to complete. “NO”.
We want to hire our own instructors to give state training courses. “No”.
We want to put in some simple exercise equipment so that members can get in better shape. “No”
We want some input on how the state mandates more and more without any additional funding. “Hell No!”
What we do get from the State is more and more mandates, taking more and more time and money, which mandates do little or nothing in the way of improving our safety or making our lives any easier. And as for the “Taj Mahal” fire stations they complain about, I’m sure there are some out there. However, most of us make do with what we have, and oftentimes are working out of fire stations that are barely adequate at best. And though I hate to point this out, these political leaders are writing these notes and criticisms while sitting in State offices stocked with the newest and best of everything, all of it bought on the public’s dime, driving to meetings on the public’s dime, and pulling down darn good salaries on the public’s dime, while you and I are struggling to make ends meet, and are running fundraisers, coin drops, and breakfasts to make ends meet in the firehouse, and many of us try to hold down 2 jobs as well as volunteering our time for the department, so our family can survive as well. Isn’t there an old saying about the pot calling the kettle black?