As a past candidate for the Fire Chief's position, I would not go along with the need for a fire boat. More emphasis needs to be placed on recruitment and retention, training, basic and advanced life support, public education and listening to the residents and business community. I believe this boat, no matter the cost, will become a green heron situation.
If recruitment, retention, training, public education, and the like are not addressed by the SFD because there's no funding for it, consider this:
ReplyDeleteThis "FREE" fireboat has costs associated with it in the form of insurance, training, maintenance, and others. These are NEW expenses for which there is no budget. Therefore, the City will need to find new revenue or cut spending. It really isn't a matter of whether the City actually needs the boat. It's a matter of whether they can afford it and do they have the common sense to realize this.
Well, you can forget about cutting spending.
ReplyDeleteSome of us sat around and played with the numbers that this boat might cost. Fuel, routine maintenance, new associated equipment, USCG captain's license training for at least 4 people (plus updates), insurance, transportation for repairs (can't do it here - no drydock or lift big enough - may be covered by insurance), extensive additional initial and periodic training for all firefighters, building a covered slip at the harbor, etc.
The amount we came up with blew the $12,000 a year that was quoted out of the water. Our figure was more like $80,000 the first year and $50,000 a year after that.
Actually, there is a dry dock big enough at Chesapeake Shipbuilding. However, these idiots are having the boat built by a company in CANADA!!!. Imagine paying to have that thing hauled up there. They take their firetrucks to Wisconsin for repair because their heads are stuck up their butts and there is a strip club out there they are partial to.
ReplyDeleteI feel the money the county gives to SFD should be returned and used to repair the ferries, roads and other important items if they insist on getting this useless boat.
ReplyDelete