Several months ago, Lewes Fire Department was in the news because of the difficulty of raising operating funds, and now Rehoboth Fire Department is in the news for the same reason. I can’t understand why town and county governments and average citizens are so blasé about he issue.
Volunteer fire departments provide an absolutely essential service so they shouldn’t have to go hat-in-hand and beg for funds. It is not just the apparatus that’s expensive, but everything on it is also expensive. Turnout gear is expensive. Fuel is expensive, and so is cooling and heating of buildings. So are salaries. Rehoboth operates two crewed ambulances 24 hours a day, 365 days a a year. The president of the fire company says they need to fund salaries for a third amulance during the tourist season, and I’m sure he’s correct. Go to the fire company’s web page and look at the live run log if you think they’re busy. The problem is only going to get worse as the population continues to grow because of the unbridled growth allowed by county council.
Think what it means to be a volunteer fireman. Call-ups at night which sometimes last hours. Fighting a fire for three or four hours and then going to work the next day isn’t for the faint of heart. Have you ever pulled a 5-inch hose? Ever worn pounds of protective equipment that retain heat like crazy in the summer? Ever run into a burning house? There are also the mental stresses on both firefighters and ambulance crews. Ever extricated a mangled body or tried to help an injured screaming child from a wreck? Do you think the title of the first responder makes people immune to PTSD?
Volunteer fire companies all over the country are complaining about their difficulty in attracting new members, and it’s no wonder. There’s a tipping point at which volunteer companies can no longer provide necessary services. What then? Have the Rehoboth commissioners or the county council thought about the cost to have professional first responders? Nationally, the median salary for firefighters is about $57,000 a year and for EMTs about $45,000. Naysayers will posit that such a situation will never happen. Really? Visit suburban areas and find out how many volunteer fire companies have become paid.
Trying to raise money to keep a fire company operational creates unnecessary stress on leaders and members. Isn’t it time that those who benefit from the sacrifices of those men and women are given more assistance than at the present?
Keith J. Phillips
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
