Sir: If you have been reading any of the local papers, be they weekly or daily, you cannot have missed the articles and letters about Proposal C of the Chatham-Kent Service Review. What are missing are some numbers that appeared on page 15 of the Review.
The number of structure fires and explosions have increased 5.48% in 2014 and a whopping 75.97% in 2015.
Isn’t it ironic that the percentages of structural fires and explosions have gone up significantly in Chatham-Kent since a new fire chief was hired. In other jurisdictions, the numbers have gone down, as were Chatham-Kent’s from 2011 to 2014.
What has happened to make our structure fires and explosions numbers explode (pardon the pun)? Do we have a serial arsonist? Is council concerned enough with a 75.97% increase of structural fires and explosions, to order an investigation with the fire marshal’s office or the police?
I have not heard of any such investigation, which brings into question what is being done about these totally unacceptable numbers?
We need to get the numbers of fires back to 2011-2013 numbers before we start talking about amalgamations, cutting staffing by a substantial number when fires are rising in an industry that is seeing significant drops in fires in almost every other community.
This is very serious for taxpayers. We need to look into these outrageous increases in fires and explosions. What is causing this increase?
Proposal C is proposing to downsize both fire and paramedic services to a total of 120 full-time equivalent positions. The proposal calls for both services to cross train. This would cost in the millions of dollars to pay for firemen to take the two-year paramedic courses as legally required. Not only would Chatham-Kent be liable for the cost of the course but also the wages of the firemen taking the course.
When the fire department can show a significant decline in structure fires and explosions, and can similarly show a drop in personnel through attrition, maybe this proposal could come back to the table if the firefighters and paramedics would consent to it. There is a huge difference in the two professions, and remember that at the time they were hired, firefighters wanted to be firefighters and paramedics wanted to be paramedics. These were their chosen professions. Why should they be forced to do something they do not want to do or lose their jobs?
Bridget Goldsmith
Chatham
OMFG