We Need More Personnel!
The other day I had a rather disheartening phone conversation with Duluth Fire Chief Dan Haus. I respect and admire Dan, but what he had to say was just plain depressing. Dan is happy that Minnesota lawmakers restored funding for the Duluth Haz Mat Team. Nearly every fire department in the region is happy with that decision. However, Dan is upset with the fact that while fire departments could stand to get lots of dollars for bio-terrorism and counter-terrorism equipment, there is no money for people to run this equipment. I agree with Dan. We need people or the financial resources to bring more people on line.
Since September 11, the state and federal governments have expressed a real interest in providing funding for bio-terrorism and anti-terrorism training and equipment. The fire service appreciates this and any money that we receive would be put to good use. However, we need people to take the training and operate the equipment. For some departments, it's a real struggle just to get firefighters. Then, let's add EMS training, wildland fire training, Haz Mat and a few other things and the people, who are already on tight time constraints, run for the door!! We have put some of this burden on the state's career departments, but they are also strapped for personnel. Chief Haus tells me that recent cuts in state aids could spell cuts in his department. So much for all that extra money for training and equipment!
I would like to say that I have a solution to this problem, but I don't. With the State of Minnesota in a budget crisis, we don't have money there. As for the federal government, they may have the funding, but how can we use it?? Yes, some of money could go to the career departments for hiring more personnel, but what about the smaller, rural departments?? How to we fix the problem?? If you have any ideas on this, let me know. I'll publish your suggestions.