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Fire Department Budget ---
Misuse Of Manpower & Equipment
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We have all
noticed how Fire Department personnel and equipment are being utilized on the
highways as "traffic directors" and "barricades".
Let it be known that the Fire Department operates at "code" speeds on calls to
service, whereas the Police Department gets to the scene when and how it can.
Therefore, the first to arrive at most highway traffic accidents/mishaps is
usually the Fire Department.
Utilizing ladder trucks and engines as barricades on the highways is not the
most economical/ practical means to block oncoming traffic. The current scheme
can place six or eight firefighters "out of service" with perhaps a million
dollars worth of fire fighting equipment "at risk".
Instances have occurred whereby fire equipment has been run into by oncoming
traffic. Those events are VERY costly to the city budget and places much needed
assets out of service. Six or eight firefighters who could be training,
sleeping or resting at a strategically located station ready to fight a costly
or deadly fire are often out in the cold or heat getting worn out performing
duties not primarily intended for firefighters. Then, when called to fight a
blazing fire, they may not be up to full capacity to perform the tasks they were
trained to do. Believe me, the Fire Department
does a splendid job for the citizens of Dallas. |
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09/20/05 JD
Spaan:
Thank you for continuously posting your thoughts about the
city- it is always interesting to read your posts. As I was reading the
posts today I had the following thoughts:
Mr. Field asks why does the
Fire Dept. perform
certain functions that he feels are a waste of resources (acting as
"traffic directors").
In
Belo approves 2nd Tier Thinking, your
commentary regarding the Dallas Fire Chief, you agree with the Chief that
the "efficiency study" Mary Suhm wants is a waste of money. Isn't this an
excellent example of the type of wasted resources an "efficiency study"
could reveal? If the efficiency study revealed to the fire chief and the
city manager that the fire department is wasting manpower and
equipment performing non-essential tasks, then those
resources could be redirected and Dallas could be a safer city.
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The Police Department, with portable barricades and "arrow trucks",
should be utilized to direct traffic and to protect a mishap scene QUICKLY".
After all --- if the Fire Department can get there, why cannot the Police
Department. For serious highway blockages or injury events, the Police
Department could be operating at "code" speeds for timely arrival at such
highway events. In earlier years, before the Fire Department "barricade"
escapades, police traffic elements, with flares, arrow trucks, cones, etc. were
utilized to secure and clear accident scenes. Those techniques used to work
WELL.
What has happened? In these times, even HOV lane sweepers utilize transportable
barricade / barrel trucks with electric arrows as protection for slow moving
sweepers. Perhaps those types of vehicles with approved emergency lighting
could be used INSTEAD of a million dollars worth of fire equipment and a half
dozen fire fighters (who should be readying for a hazard that they are truly
trained for).
And as next to final straws... do the citizens believe that the Fire Department
should have to budget for the WATER they use to put out FIRES? AND --- for Fire
Department "common" vehicles (like we all drive), why not
rent them and have them maintained by a vehicle
rental company? The cost to have the city garage fix such vehicles might exceed
that of rental agencies.
Rad Field
Dist. 11
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