Should public vote determine number of firefighters on the job?

We were laying in bed watching the late news on Channel 4 - the local NBC affiliate - and once again had to listen to Dave Aiazzi suggest that voters should determine in November whether or not there are three or four firefighters on each call.

The dispute between the City of Reno and its firefighters centers around the city wanting to reduce the number of firefighters responding to each call to three. The firefighters say they can live with that, but that they won’t be entering a building to save lives or contents - that it’s simply too dangerous to send a single firefighter into a burning structure without backup.

As voters, Mr. Maven and I think it’s asinine to expect these types of issues to be decided by voters. We don’t know firefighting best practices, and I doubt many other average voters can speak to such issues with any real confidence.

I do know, having watched firefighters contain a whole house blaze (they sat in my kitchen come morning, with coffee, dog tired) that when well equipped they are able to save house contents that I would never have thought possible. But to try and do that without all the safety protocols and backup needed is ludicrous.

This is always what happens when budgets get tight. Rather than raise taxes (gasp!) and budget realistically, the game is to squeeze the necessary services until the people finally get a gutful and beg for them back in full - at any cost. Back in full usually comes at a price - like padding the budget elsewhere to build more convention facilities or ballparks to serve corporate masters.

At the end of the day, the community interests are not served.

Taxes are necessary. Services like fire and police are necessary.

Dave Aiazzi isn’t.

Friday Fish Wrap: September 25, 2009

What a busy week it’s been. Yesterday was Mr. Maven’s 78th birthday and the poor guy spent it getting another (3rd ) antibiotic injection into his inner ear in an attempt to cure the problems with vertigo he’s been having. If that doesn’t ‘bite’ for a birthday, I don’t know what does. I can tell you this much, it hurts.

The day pretty busy at work, too. Huffman & Carpenter, Inc. - who employs me to nurture the new website and blog - was honored with the Lake Tahoe Award of Distinction by the US Army Corps of Engineers for their many outstanding projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This is important work, which contributes to the goal of restoring the amazing clarity of one of the worlds’ most famous lakes. It’s a jewel that must be preserved and protected.

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First date: Reno Blogger Dinner 3.0

Tonight was my first excursion into the larger blogosphere and it was right here in Reno, Nevada - right under my nose all the time. We met up at the Imperial Bar & Lounge on Arlington for food and general discussion on blogging. I want to thank Reno Baby host, Ryan Jerz for noticing me sitting cluelessly at the bar, upon arrival, and - being the classy gentleman that he obviously is - extended a howdy and invitation to their table.

Full disclosure: I don’t shine in gatherings like this.

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