COLUMBIA, 7/24/10 (Beat Byte)
-- Budget cuts to a central Columbia fire station have local
firefighters fired up over fears that emergency response delays could cost homes
-- and lives.
Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins recently decided to
eliminate eight fire fighter positions, Columbia Professional
Fire Fighters Local 1055 president Brad Fraizer explained in an email urging neighborhood
association leaders to contact their City Council members.
"This decision will permanently shut down one of two fire trucks at
Columbia Fire Station Two on Worley Street, resulting in a significant
public safety and fire fighter safety issue," Fraizer explained.
Divided into areas by proximity, fire stations function on a
second-by-second clock. For residents in this Worley Street area, that clock
will almost certainly be delayed, Fraizer said.
"If the last remaining company at Station Two is on an
emergency call, the next closest company will be dispatched," he explained.
"This could be a fire truck stationed on Chapel Hill, Providence, Ashland Road
or downtown. Not only will this result in a delayed response, it will also
mean the primary area normally covered by this responding company will
be unprotected. Whether a medical emergency or a fire, every minute
counts."
Urging neighborhoods and their leaders to "call or write your Councilperson and ask them to keep public safety a priority," Fraizer ended his plea with a point. "The citizens of Columbia have the best recreational facilities, the best library, and the best City Hall money can buy. They deserve the best emergency services too."
Urging neighborhoods and their leaders to "call or write your Councilperson and ask them to keep public safety a priority," Fraizer ended his plea with a point. "The citizens of Columbia have the best recreational facilities, the best library, and the best City Hall money can buy. They deserve the best emergency services too."
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