I read with interest the struggles for funding and response of the volunteer fire companies in the area. As a retired career chief officer for a major metropolitan fire and rescue service, this is a continual concern for volunteer fire companies. Municipalities must either develop long-term financial plans to support, or accept the fact they will need to move to a career department with very large tax increases.
What is needed to supplement the companies is a continual revenue source to supplement fundraisers, grants, etc. While I believe what I am going to recommend is a pipe dream, because it interferes with the way things have always been done, these are ideas with numbers attached to them. There is an old saying, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.”
Many or the local jurisdictions have been pushing back against marijuana dispensaries in their cities and towns. Last year, Maryland generated $4.2 billion in tax revenue from legal sales and growth. This does not count monies given back to cities and smaller communities. Maryland has a 9% tax on these sales. Open up dispensaries in your towns and cities, and you generate a continual stream. Then by ordinance or state law, designate 50% or more of the revenue to go back to volunteer fire companies. Stop pushing back against this nationally proven funding source over some antiquated belief about marijuana. No one believes prohibition worked, and it’s no longer an issue.
Sussex County has seven different school districts, and seven different superintendents. The State of Delaware has 16 districts, not counting the vo-tech and special schools. Reduce the number of superintendents from 16 to three, one for each county. Other than power, is there really a reason to have this much overhead? The average salary, estimated low, is around $91,065. Reduce to three superintendents and you save $1,157,040. Take those savings and distribute them to volunteer fire companies.
Finally, charge all new developers with an infrastructure charge for fire and rescue services, based on the number of dwellings and the estimated population increase. Designate this money directly to fire and rescue services. This is above and beyond any current infrastructure charges.
Long term, your only options are to develop long-term funding strategies. Costs of apparatus, staffing and equipment are not going to do anything but continue to increase. More population equals more responses, most noticeably on the EMS side of service. The establishment of a fully career fire service is not something most taxpayers – or politicians – are willing to swallow. It means higher taxes.
If you don’t address this now, don’t be surprised when you call 911 and no one shows up in a timely manner, with the right gear, equipment and training to provide the service.
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