Hopefully the residents of one Dauphin County community are doing the "No Fire Dance." But at least if flames do consume their homes, they won't have to worry about those loud sirens causing a racket.
The officer corps and the administration of the Highspire Volunteer Fire Department have quit. They've walked off of the job. They cite frustration with a lack of funding from their borough as the reason.
But it's now the people of that community who are expressing the most frustration.
Sean Bennett is a hotel manager and the father of two young children. He lives in the Willow Garden Apartment complex in Highspire; directly across from three apartments that burned in an arson in early May of this year.
His quote of the day in response to the walk off:
"What are we gonna do besides have rental insurance and pray?"
Want more?
The following is the opening statement of a forum that's been posted on this CBS 21 Community:
"This is a disgusting and dangerous attempt to intimidate a town! As a Career Captain and Volunteer Firefighter I find the actions of these people reprehensible. Should there be an incident in HighSpire I hope for their sake no one is hurt." - road doc
According to the Borough Manager, John McHale, they've withheld funding because the Highspire VFD's administration won't complete an audit of the department's books. Both sides reportedly have complaints about how the previous administration kept its books. The current chief says he shouldn't be responsible for what the previous administration did.
(Pause for disclaimer: I have nothing but total respect for the men and women who risk their lives to save mine. To run into a burning building while everyone else is running out is heroic. And necessary. And to do it without getting paid? Above and beyond. I have taken some rescue training. I can do CPR, the heimlich. I've operated the Jaws of Life and the other cutting tools the rescue squads use to extricate victims from car crashes. But I am by no means qualified to rush out there and start saving lives. These people are. And thank God for that.)
BUT I disagree with the logic that the current officers shouldn't have to go back and audit the books of the previous ones. They recieve more than $20,000 dollars in annual funding from the borough, and they raise tens of thousands more from the community during fundraisers throughout the year. If there is a question about how that money is being handled, and the fire officials know in their heart of hearts it is being handled properly, prove it. If there were problems in the past that have ceased since the new administration took over, prove that too.
If there is nothing to hide, prove it.
On a side note, I think it is absolutely apalling that, in this day and age of Homeland Security money, there are still volunteer fire departments. Do you mean to tell me with all of the millions of dollars being spent on bio-chemical decontamination tents and the like couldn't instead be spent on basic fire protection? Firefighters should be paid. Period.
It's a shame that communities like Highspire have to pull a Blanche DuBois and "rely upon the kindness of strangers."
