Have volunteer fire departments in Del Norte County finally run their course? Is there truly a need for a fully urbanized fire department with paid fire fighters? Clearly this appears to be the direction Crescent Fire and Rescue (CCFR), Chief Kevin Carey, and the Crescent Fire Protection District (CFPD), intends on taking the City and County residents since he as-sumed his post as Chief of both volunteer fire units.
I suppose the first question to be asked, “can the community afford such a transition?” Probably not would be the most realistic answer. Residents of the County and City already suffer under the recent upward trend of increased costs for most things necessary for a reasonable standard of living. Other residents cannot even afford things necessary for the most basic of living expenses and rely on the good graces of the Department of Health and Human Services to cover the shortfall.
So, first of all, what has caused local fire departments to spurn volunteer departments in favor of fully paid, urban style departments? Is it because there has become a serious up-tick in structure fires throughout the County? No, in fact structure fires have noticeably de-clined in recent years. Are the 2,000 plus calls per year serviced claimed by CCFR/CFPD mostly fire calls of all descriptions? No, nearly 80% of all calls are health related.
So, what’s the deal? Why is Chief Carey working with City Manager Eric Wier to turn the CCFR/CFPD into a paid department with no evidence cost has been considered, or the de-cline in actual need for professional firefighters?
Small towns and County’s across America often struggle with the prospect of funding basic emergency services and as such, commonly resort to the services being provided by volunteers. Crescent City and Del Norte are no exception. It is irresponsible for the city’s manager and Fire Chief Carey to be asking local residents to fund a professional paid fire department even at an incremental level. Three fire captains, then administrative lieuten-ants at a cost of $130,000 per year.
Where is the money going to come from? Why is it necessary to have three paid fire supervi-sors on duty during daytime hours when fires occur so infrequently? Where is the need for the recently hired fire captains? How will the three fire captains spend time where THEY couldn’t provide the additional administrative support? All-good questions to be asking City Manager, Eric Wier and Chief Kevin Carey.
In times like these, where money is tight, how is it our leadership can become so irrespon-sible to the people they are meant to serve. Is it “small Town” envy of all the services larger populations with greater resources can afford. Failure to understand smaller localities have much greater constraints placed on them as to what can be afforded? The lure of spending other people’s money?
It does not take a rocket scientist’s brain to understand small rural communities must pick and choose what services we can afford and those we cannot. A paid for fire service nor any hybrid facsimile should not be in Del Norte County’s future. Practical considerations aside, a return to an all-volunteer fire department serving the County for over 150 years is what leadership should be promoting not local insolvency.
Volunteers are a small rural community’s most important asset. They fill the ranks of many important service providers and should be given credit for all their efforts, fire fighters not excluded. Many small towns would find it difficult to survive without volunteers. Del Norte County is one such place.
No disrespect meant for volunteer firefighters wishing to be paid, but how will your role change in a paid for fire department? How many will transition to paid positions? How much will your everyday life change if you move to a paid position in a professional depart-ment? Volunteers who do not make the transition? Life after?
It has become crystal clear Fire Chief Carey, the CFPD Board, and City Manager Eric Wier are all on board with incrementally moving towards a paid fire department. First hiring fire cap-tains, now the “need” for administrative lieutenants, next step firefighters. Where is the money going to come from? Can you afford a spike in your property taxes, higher rent, an-other jump in sales tax? Some can I am sure, but many cannot.
A blind man can foresee a sales tax increase and a private property assessment when the fire department becomes a paid fire department. Those in the City and the County should be prepared to clutch your wallets. Lucky folks in the fire protection district get to pay both, an increase in sales tax and a property assessment.