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NH Fire District Building Changes are Needed, Not Wanted
Dear Editor:
The North Highlands (NH) Fire District has done their best to bring the general public "up to speed" regarding their referendum. Instead of attacking those spreading half-truths, I offer the following facts:
I am not a member of the NH Fire Company or the NH Fire District.
The NH Fire District's operational budget is minimal at best. The Board of Fire Commissioners budget as reasonably as possible, for upcoming expenditures, vehicle replacements, personal protective equipment replacements, and for other costs associated with running a fire department. Please take note that I did not say "volunteer" fire department. Whether there is a paid staff or volunteer members, certain operating costs remain the same.
Laws regarding referendums, spending limits, and following State of New York procurement laws are followed quite well by this district.
Mr. Joel Cooper suggests that the community weight the fire district's proposal against other town projects. I agree, every taxpayer should weight the costs associated with living in a rural area, where infrastructure is minimal and what infrastructure exists is critical.
We no longer live in a world where joining the local volunteer firehouse to help your neighbors in their time of need is easy. The requirements to be an interior structural firefighter are numerous. Mind you, these are not local requirements but those of the NY State Dept. of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the generally accepted standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which are now case law in NY State. The Fire District costs associated with helping a new member meet these goals include outfitting them with personal protective equipment, provide a complete physical examination annually, supply books and other educational materials, and provide a managed health and safety program - including physical fitness.
The original proposal by the NH Fire District was nothing grand. It provided space for apparatus, training, a kitchen, maintenance and business purposes. A meeting room is not a "social" space, but a space where large gatherings of people can comfortably meet. Town meetings, public hearings, public polling space, and educational programs are just some examples of the uses that are clearly not "social." A small dayroom for members to stay in quarters is a function of the fire service, not a social gathering.
Misinformation and halftruths forced the fire district into an alternative plan that will still work, but with not as much space for the future. The revised project is being voted on in August for this reason: Every day that the district waits to begin construction, it adds additional costs to the overall project. It is not about what the NH Fire District "wants," it is about what the community "needs." The community needs a renovation of the NH fire station so increasing maintenance and building costs on a 30-year-old tin shack don't drown us all. Please pass the revised 4.6 million dollar proposal.
F. J. Spinelli
North Highlands
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