Opinion/Editorial by Robert J Anderson
Publisher – Lehigh Acres Gazette
A recent article in the Pioneer Press about the St Paul Fire Department showed some interesting fire budget realities.
St Paul’s Mayor Chris Coleman recently adopted a recommendation from a city task force. During city budgeting meetings, the Mayor noted that rescue service had been in danger of being dissolved.
After firefighters and city council members raised concerns that decommissioning the rescue service would leave a hole in emergency response for the city, the firefighters’ union asked that a committee be convened to find other solutions, and the mayor’s office and Fire Chief Tim Butler organized a task force.
“We had to take the lesser of two evils,” said Mike Smith, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 21 president and a member of the committee, about the recommendation to keep a rescue service going and brown out Engine 13.
Engine 13 operates out of Station 23 at 1929 Como Ave. and serves the Como, St. Anthony and Hamline-Midway neighborhoods. The station is home to two other fire rigs — Engine 23 and Medic 23 — that will remain in service.
No firefighters will be laid off, and Engine 13 is not being decommissioned; the fire department still has the vehicle, and it could be used in emergency situations, Butler said.
Browning out Engine 13, as well as other task force recommendations, will save the department $180,000 this year, said Todd Hurley, St. Paul finance director.
The St Paul Fire budget task force also recommended ways for the department to raise money including providing scheduled medical transport — having ambulances bring patients from hospitals to nursing homes or assisted-care centers. Coleman said in a letter to task force participants that the fire department should begin this work, and Butler said it would.
Why can’t the Lehigh Acres Fire Chief, Fire Commissioners and Fire Union work together to figure out a “real” solution to save the department without having any noticeable service cut backs?