Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, June 03, 2018

A Letter To The Editor: Station 1 Budget

Good Morning

First and foremost, thank you all for your time and efforts in reviewing the upcoming FY19 budget for Wicomico County. Our membership understands how frustrating it can be to have requests placed in front of you that can't always be filled.

As we approach the beginning of FY 19, we all begin to wonder what the year will bring us. With fire and EMS call volume on the rise, the heroin epidemic growing out of control, mass shootings increasing, and a decrease in the amount of people wanting to volunteer in the community; we bring to question the concern of public safety through the eyes of the County Council. Last year when our membership approached the Council, we were told by most members, but primarily Council President Cannon, that there was nothing that could be done with funding us as County Executive Culver did not put us in the budget. Councilman Joe Holloway informed our membership that we needed to prove we could sustain ourselves for the next year and then he would see no issues with approving funding for our company. Councilman Ernie Davis concurred with this. All of this is documented in the recorded meetings of the County Council.

Our membership has fought long and hard over the past 16 months to continue serving the residents and tax payers of Wicomico County. While we have jumped every hurdle thrown in front of us, it still seems that the Council may not support improving the public safety of this County. This is based on recent information we received that you plan to cut us from the budget, in which Executive Culver placed us in.

We question the reason, if this is true, in which you would remove us from the budget based on what was told to us last year. If this is a result of disagreements with the Executive, then why should that have anything to do with public safety? The tit for tat of taking jabs at each other should never jeopardize the public safety of this County. Having the opportunity to improve public safety at such a low cost is extremely rare, if not unheard of. Why would any right minded person not take advantage of this situation?

It is unfortunate that it has taken this long for our organization to come to the point of final approval to serve the County. However, just so the Council is aware, we have been assisting the public in other ways. This includes food drives for HALO, water overflow removal for Wicomico Equestrian Center, free training and installation of kitchen fire extinguishers in county and city residences (no cost to the homeowner or occupant, no other department in the state offers this), free CPR training, and free installation of 10year sealed smoke detectors.

Our membership is here to make Wicomico County safer and to reduce damage caused by disasters. We hope that you support this same cause.

The 47 members of Company 13 hope to have the support of the County Council as we have continued to gain the support of our community over the past year.

Thank you for your time in this urgent matter.

The membership of:

The Salisbury Fire Department Inc.
Company No. 1
Station 13

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not quite sure what the Station does. Does it respond to fires anymore?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:55- No, they do not respond to anything at all.

Anonymous said...

They have 47 members and Salisbury has about 10? Ha....Karma huh.

Anonymous said...

Why did you call for a Salisbury City Ambulance to the bingo hall when your station was not on a call.? If Culver only budgets 30,000 for your group will he reduce the money to county stations that also have a low call volume? More important, have you started the chicken BBQs yet, I’m hungry?

Anonymous said...

Is there documentation and proof of where these detectors and extinguishers were installed?
And aren’t those residences already served by another fire department you are trying to steal territory from ?
And werent you all members of a fire department (Salisbury) before you didn’t get your way, threw a tantrum and left?
How can the citizens trust you as far as they can throw you?

Anonymous said...

Why was County money sent to Salisbury for Volunteer Fire companies put in the City general budget? Is this according to law. When I was involved monies given to Volunteer Companies were split accordingly and was permitted by law to go into a City general fund. Where is the accountability? Salisbury needs to pay the County what they owe the County with interest.

Tony said...

Is the equipment used for CPR training the new stolen equipment from Salisbury FD that Palidore took?

Anonymous said...

Our membership is here to make Wicomico county safer? No you people only want to do what you want! Every one of you were horrible when you were a part of SFD that's why you left because you couldn't keep up. Get ready to pay back all those tax payer dollars you stole out of your pockets.

Anonymous said...

Donald Trump wouldn't allow them to participate either

Anonymous said...

The mayor blew that chance with his big mouth. Remember he has stated all over they are their own corperation . Also he stated he has no control over what they need and what they spend it on .

Anonymous said...

Some of you need to have respect for what they are doing. I am a county resident and hope you put them in the budget

Anonymous said...

I like what they are doing for the community. I wish fruitland would do stuff like this for us. I tried to ask them for a smoke detector a month ago and nobody came to the door. The siren is always going off there but no fire trucks go out the doors. Win, lose, or draw, keep it up ladies and gentlemen. We see the impact you're making.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why the council would go back on its word, if they said they would support them if they made it a year on their own, then do it. Or is politics and personal egos in the way of public safety ? I am a county resident and not a fireman, but I listen to my scanner and I hear a lot of calls being repeated because no one is going to the fire. And some firehouses never get a fire engine to the call. So why not at least minimal fund this station and see the impact it has or doesn't have and hi from there. Only makes sense to give it a try. If they are willing then out them to work , free help is not heard of these days and I see the volunteers in salisbury are almost all gone except for firefighter wanna be s that get on the road way after the first call.

Anonymous said...

Or these Station 13 members who “just want to serve” could go do just that at an existing fire company.
Oh wait..... never mind

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Or these Station 13 members who “just want to serve” could go do just that at an existing fire company.
Oh wait..... never mind

June 3, 2018 at 5:58 AM

They were an existing fire company you stupid Douche Bag. No matter what you call them they are still Station #1 and always will be. Check their charter. That former building where they were located should be called Station #13. The paid fire and EMS crew should be Truck 13 and Paramedic 1. Just like the old "Headquarters Company" was changed to Station 16.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I don't know why the council would go back on its word, if they said they would support them if they made it a year on their own, then do it. Or is politics and personal egos in the way of public safety ? I am a county resident and not a fireman, but I listen to my scanner and I hear a lot of calls being repeated because no one is going to the fire. And some firehouses never get a fire engine to the call. So why not at least minimal fund this station and see the impact it has or doesn't have and hi from there. Only makes sense to give it a try. If they are willing then out them to work , free help is not heard of these days and I see the volunteers in salisbury are almost all gone except for firefighter wanna be s that get on the road way after the first call.

June 2, 2018 at 6:13 PM

I've got a novel idea. Instead of making a long dumb anonymous comment on here why don't you go to the County Council meeting Tuesday Night at 6 PM and ask them. Don't be a coward, go there and speak out for what is right.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Our membership is here to make Wicomico county safer? No you people only want to do what you want! Every one of you were horrible when you were a part of SFD that's why you left because you couldn't keep up. Get ready to pay back all those tax payer dollars you stole out of your pockets.

June 1, 2018 at 9:38 PM

What membership are you referring to??

Anonymous said...

Tony said...
Is the equipment used for CPR training the new stolen equipment from Salisbury FD that Palidore took?

June 1, 2018 at 9:35 PM

Is this supposed to be Corn Waller or Tony Webster?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
They have 47 members and Salisbury has about 10? Ha....Karma huh.

June 1, 2018 at 1:03 PM

I doubt Salisbury even has 10 members. You occasionally see Corn Waller and Cherry Cheeks Townsend, but neither one of them are real firefighters. They are both scared of fire and always have been. Both of them are nothing but mouthpeices for a failed city fire department.

Anonymous said...

Salisbury is a joke....

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:03: No wonder they only have 10 members with the ridiculous rules they have now. Must make 36 hrs a month for instance...If you don't you are placed on probation and then if you still don't make it you are kicked out with no questions asked....That is all fun and games until you kick every body out and then don't have enough for a corporation. Dumb..... Sounds like it's being done on purpose so the volunteers are kicked out. Pagers don't go off anymore unless its a fire. Everything has to be done by in house staffing, Every body has just given up, whats the point when you know you are going to get kicked out anyway? It's just a matter of time for all of them. Volunteering is not being required to do X amount of hours a month, a week, a quarter....That is called a job.

Anonymous said...

Told ya so

Anonymous said...

If wishes were horses (or old used surplus fire engines)...,

Anonymous said...

The same ones bitching about in house staffing are the same ones that were up there day and night anyway playing x box or god knows what until 3 or 5 in the morning. It was fine for you all to hang out all damn day and night as long as no one actually expected you to do anything. As soon as the expectation of any sort of productivity or an actual organized response was stated you all blew up and threw your tantrum. Here’s a thought, you were there to serve the community, not be your own little social club. How dare anyone expect you to actually step up, train, know your apparatus and equipment and respond on calls!! Gee that’s what firefighters that actually serve their communities do!!