Viewpoint MSBU fire department

Viewpoint: MSBU fire department reform: it’s about time

By Richard Collins
March 11, 2007

Thanks to coordination by Brad Baker (the new Santa Rosa County Emergency Services Coordinator); and many meetings of representatives from the MSBU fire departments and other fire departments (who may have to respond to "incidents" in the MSBU Fire Districts); we finally have a fire services plan that is generally endorsed by the BOCC.

I don't want our commissioners to faint, but in general I fully support the plan, which appears to provide a much-needed shot in the arm to our overextended and undersupported volunteer fire districts.

Prior to his election and since assuming his position as Commissioner, Commissioner Tom Stewart informed me that he intended to transfer county attention to Emergency Services issues from the back burner to the front burner.

He has done exactly that, and I commend him for sticking to his promise to address this sorely needed change.

Having paid close attention to Santa Rosa’s Emergency Services issues for the past decade, I felt that I must put a few of my thoughts on paper regarding the history behind this long-overdue upgrade. Government

In the past we have had a county commission (BOCC) that took a "hands off" approach toward their support of the volunteer fire departments.

This is plainly evidenced in the wording of the various Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) ordinances. It’s further documented in that the BOCC had never, to date, established a central, 24/7 point of contact on which the volunteers could go to for assistance.

Despite over two years of official pleas to reform the MSBU taxing system, money that was made available to the VFDs for the past decade, in the majority of departments, did nothing more than keep the departments from shutting their doors and going out of business. Media

In the past, our local media did nothing substantial to support our volunteer departments. Usually the ONLY time volunteer fire departments were mentioned in the news was when there was an "incident" or a press release from the county.

For the past decade there was little to no investigative reporting done in order to inform my fellow citizens of the state of those fire departments.

Santa Rosa Citizens

In the past the only time that the words "volunteer fire department" crossed their lips (for 99% of my fellow citizens) was when they wanted to complain.

In my opinion, this was the easy out, versus taking time to get educated through attending meetings in their local district, asking questions about training and operational readiness, requesting BOCC support for local districts (like the kind they receive from the Sheriff's department) and/or making informed comments, and attending BOCC sponsored meetings.

County Emergency Services Meetings

Having attended a majority of the Fire Advisory Task force meetings, Emergency Medical Task Force and Emergency Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) meetings in recent years, I have often been the only non-Emergency Service volunteer present.

As a matter of fact, at ESAC meetings the agenda always calls for Public Comments. This is announced and is often followed by the Chairman asking: "Richard do you have any comments today?"

I would like nothing more than to see and hear other Santa Rosa citizens attending these meetings, but apparently the majority of my fellow citizens don't care.

As this new working plan is presented to my fellow citizens, I encourage them to look at it with an open mind.

Also keep in mind that the last time fire tax rates were formulated was in 1997 (working from 1996 statistical data). As we all know, a lot has happened over the past ten-plus years.

The cost of fuel has risen dramatically, the cost of insurance (for vehicles and fire apparatus) has risen, workman's compensation costs have risen…and due to the 9/11 incident in New York, apparatus and equipment costs have experienced an equally large increase.

I fully understand that no one likes to have their fees increased, but in order to upgrade both the equipment and firefighter training, I think it is about time that we realize and support the plan that we finally have before us. At the same time, we must keep in mind that it is still a "plan in the works.”

In closing, I’d just like to emphasize that I sincerely encourage all of my fellow citizens to support the VOLUNTEER fire department personnel who spend much of their time and effort to make our quality of life in Santa Rosa County the best that it can be.

For without their dedication, we would all be forced to swallow a large pill -- that being PAID departments -- that would make currently proposed rate increases pale by comparison.

Editor's Note: Richard Collins is the appointed Santa Rosa Emergency Services Advisor to State Representative Greg Evers. He has been an active observer of County emergency services issues for many years. In addition, Richard spearheaded the design and construction of Milton's Blackwater Heritage Trail. As a result, he was selected as a 1996 Conservation Hero honoree by the National Park Service. He accepted the recognition in a ceremony held in the U.S. Botanical Gardens, in Washington DC. Richard is retired from the Air Force and lives in Chumuckla, with his wife Chris.