International Falls Fire Department Should Not be a Scapegoat: Protection Issue Should Have Been Resolved Long Ago
I am sure that most of you in the fire service have already heard the story. The International Falls Fire Department recently responded to a rural house fire. The homeowner had not paid the $25 subscription fee to the rural fire association and consequently, the house was destroyed because the fire department was put in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't situation" and let the structure burn to the ground. It should be made clear that International Falls firefighters worked at the scene for two hours to control the blaze. It was only during a rekindle that the house was left to burn. The firefighters did the best they could do, given the extreme circumstances of the situation. Today, the City of International Falls, the fire department, county officials and the rural fire protection association are trying to come to terms so such an event never occurs again. It should have never occurred in the first place and the fire department should not be the scapegoat.
Unfortunately, the public probably doesn't see it that way. They likely see the fire department as a villain. "Firefighters are trained to save lives and property and how dare they let anything burn down," is likely one response to this tragedy. It is a public relations disaster for the fire chief, the department and the community. Before this fire, International Falls Fire Chief Jerry Jensen was trying to deal with the issue of rural fire protection. He had been meeting with the rural fire association and the Koochiching County Board in a diligent effort to resolve rising operational costs in the fire department. The chief had done his homework and gathered facts and figures about the cost of fire protection. What did these figures show? Operating a fire department is a costly undertaking which needs strong local government support and that could mean tax increases or increases in the subscription rate. The alternative is a reduction in fire department services. But before an agreement could be hammered out, the fire brought the issue to a head. Hopefully, now, all of the sides in this dispute can reach a mutual decision.
The sad lesson here is that the issue of fire protection for any community should never be left unresolved. The issue needs to be settled as soon as possible. Fire does not discriminate. It does not wait for negotiating sessions to end and agreements to be reached. It is an equal opportunity destroyer and makes no distinction between anyone. The bottom line: the sooner you can resolve a matter involving rural fire protection, the better it is for everyone.