Last night there was a Commercial Structure Fire Alarm at Whiskey Business on Wood Street with smoke inside the building (There was NO fire). It is a popular bar.
The Alarm sounded at 21:06 (9:06 PM).
Less than 90 seconds later all units were enroute.
Less than 2 minutes after that Engine 1 was onscene, and a few seconds later truck 6 was there.
It took Engine 2 until 21:14 to GET to the hydrant.
Here's a few things to think about,
An Engines water suppy lasts less than 4 minutes with ONLY one line being used.
Fire doubles in size every minute.
There was VERY LITTLE traffic last night.
How many casualties can we handle at our diminished manning?
Could we fight the fire AND handle the casualties?
Could we even stop the fire from jumping to the next building?
With 2 Engines, we WILL NOT have enough time to make THE differance.
With 12 men, we CAN NOT handle the type of emergencies that WILL happen.
Leighton knows this. He has a copy of TWO studies that tell him, "Wilkes-Barre NEEDS 17 men, MINIMUM". One of those studies, the city paid for WITH OUR MONEY.
We pay for cheap, crappy garbage bags. We pay 'The Right to Work' tax. EMS tax. Sewer Tax (like anyone does anything to the sewers). Recycling Tax.
We are paying for the best. And what do we get?
Cuts to public safety.
A raceway next to a playground (Coal street).
A $12 million parking garage that cost $30 Million.
Nepotism
Public SERVANTS that get 'free' ($12000) security systems (and we have even payed some of the monthly fees on)
And more.....
They need to remember, They are public servants.
We are experiancing POOR customer service.
And remember (thanks to our dictator) When Seconds count, The Engines are only Minutes away.
Dan Emplit WBFD
AKA Don Quixote
I agree with you Danny. At 17 men on shift, two, not just one, additional Engine Companies are restored. Just 5 more Fire Fighters. Times four groups is 20 Fire Fighters. That just happens to be about the number of Fire Fighters that the Department has been reduced from the time that the Arbiter took the minimum number of Fire Fighters out of the Contract. ( And the City says they never get anything from arbitration.) Reductions in the Fire Dept while taxes have went up. Even the 13 mills blamed on the Fire Fighters was only needed for one year but has contined anyhow. Doesn't seem fair, does it? But I was told years ago..."Want fair?....Go to Bloomsburg." I guess life is not fair...especially to the Fire Fighters and the Public we serve.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% as do most of the realists in the community. Unfortunately the Kings Herd, only hears what he has to say, be it true or false, and then act on those words as if they were gospel.
ReplyDeleteHe is playing Russian roulette with the lives and safety of the citizens of this city. We had an opportunity to dethrone him, but W-B seems to be a magnet for the stupid, blind, and lazy parasites that feed on the public.
He says "look what I did" but we see what it cost, and what it will cost in the future! We need a stronger pesticide, for truly we are infested with vermin.