Kenosha Firefighters Should Be Helping

In the wake of the recent tragedy in this country, I have been very proud of how people have stepped forward to give in many ways to help the people affected by hurricane Katrina.  Whether it is money, a special skill, time, or some other resource, people from all over the country have been very generous.

So I am a little embarrassed to be in a community that refuses to answer the call of FEMA to send teams of firefighters to assist in the aid and rescue efforts.  Many communities around the state have sent teams, including Racine and Somers, so why won’t Kenosha Fire Department send anyone?  Is there no one willing to go?

No, actually several firefighters are willing to take the 30 days away from their families and jobs here to go lend a hand.  The reason is it might cost money in overtime.

FEMA reimburses each department a certain amount, but it might not cover all the overtime of staffing the firefighers’ regular work days.  So we are sitting on a resource people in need could really use, skilled rescue personnel, in order to save money.  I know the budget is tight and I know overtime has been a hot issue, but other cities are making it work.  Sometimes doing the right thing costs a little, and I am sure overtime money has been used for reasons much less necessary than this.  I don’t know who made this decision, city or fire department administration, but it’s not right, and I think they should be ashamed.

Name Withheld

Taken in its entirety from the Voice of the People in the Sept. 20, 2005 edition of the Kenosha News