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Dedicated Volunteer North Highland Firefighters Need a Safe Facility
Dear Editor:
Since the North Highlands Fire Department is too humble to remind us that they give their time to save our lives and our property and they willingly risk their own lives to do it, we will say it for them. Now, they are asking for our help and we think they deserve it. These dedicated volunteer firefighters need a replacement building for their safety and ours! We believe this is the best protection can we buy ourselves.
We have toured the facility, attended Commissioners' meetings and the Public Hearing and we firmly believe that our firemen are asking for little in return for what they give. If they were not volunteers, we would have to pay for this service. The costs for a paid fire department would far exceed the cost of the building. If we had to get paid firemen, we'd be required to build this same building or a more expensive one. Why not do the right thing and let our volunteers get back to doing what they do well - taking care of our emergencies?
With every siren that rings, we are thankful for these volunteers. When car accidents occur, we've watched these dedicated men and women leave their jobs and families, and run to save the lives of people we know and love. They take care of house fires, car fires, brush fires, lost people, flood removal, and so much more. What better form of insurance can we ask for than what we are getting from our NHFD volunteers?
Several of our NHFD firemen have been in our employ over the years and we know them to be hard working, fiscally prudent and caring community members who respect what it means to pay taxes. They are not asking for a Taj Mahal! The proposed building is not glamorous; it will be functional, safe and up to code. They have studied the options, pared back to what is reasonable and presented at the Public Hearing a well thought out building using the existing firehouse frame and footings to lower costs.
The building is 35 years old and does not meet up to many legal codes. It is unsafe for the volunteers due to improper extraction of fumes and bays that are not long enough to allow for easy access to the trucks. Although the building is a designated shelter and decontamination facility for Entergy, the current building prevents the NHFD from providing either of these functions properly.
The roof and insulation need to be replaced. The building is in a serious state of disrepair, and fixing each problem would cost too much in comparison to the return on that investment.
Not only is the building used by our volunteer firefighters, it is also heavily used by community groups. It is the only Town Center we have in the North Highlands and it serves as home to Blood Drives, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and a election polling location to name a few. These kind volunteers have welcomed this usage and are proposing to keep the meeting room as part of the building. They also host Little League and Town Dump Days, all of which benefits our community. It is a small price to pay for so much service.
We encourage all North Highlands residents to vote YES on August 14.
Debbi E. Milner
John A. Milner
Cold Spring
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