resident wrote on Jun 13, 2008 6:25 AM:Thats a great plan for the rural areas but what about the 78 corridor. While money is being spent to organize rural areas and help their firefighters get along the fire departmetns along the 78 are quietly sweeping their consolidation plans under the rug. How about a story on that NC!

Bernard wrote on Jun 13, 2008 2:25 PM:ADD Deer Springs Fire Protection District Board to the plan.

The Board Directors are listening to people who want to save money and remove 1 FF from the fire engine, ie only 2 to a fire engine.

A 3-person crew is absolutely necessary.

Board is going backwards because of the two or more dysfunctional board directors. We need more fire protection. Less protection is not acceptable.

The Board already listened to the "hand packed audience" (at several Board meetings) and the Board voted NO to a fire tax increase which was needed, and recommended by District Fire Chief Ned Nickerson.

The Board President did not vote. She should not be voted for in November for 4 years.

A current Board Member (who may decide to run in November) voted NO to the Deer Springs #3 Firehouse. Firehouse #3 will help the entire District. It was built.

The vice-president (at the time) also voted NO to the Deer Springs #3 Firehouse. He is no longer a VP and has been censured twice which was printed in the NCTimes. He was censured for disregarding the District Code of Conduct. He believes he is above the law.

QUOTE: "Instead, Van Ingen said, she'd like to see the board refocus on what she considers the major issue at hand ---- Stonegate." END QUOTE. NCTimes; Animosity prevails at Deer Springs fire board meetings.
By: COLLEEN MENSCHING - Staff Writer | Sunday, December 16, 2007 11:20 PM PST
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/17/news/inland/10_99_4312_16_07.txt

Van Ingen does not pay attention to details and is not informed. It took her 8 meetings (8 months) to find out that she (and all Directors) always received the billing statements from the office of Board's counsel. The info was in the Director's individual monthly meeting packets.

Having a Board Director needing to look at another Director to find out how to vote is dangerous.

"DEER SPRINGS: Board nixes proposed fire protection fee increase"
NCTimes 4-4-2008 article by ANDREA MOSS.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/04/04/news/inland/san_marcos/520b01a9945dddfd88257421000d492c.txt

A functional Board is very important for our Fire Fighters morale.

A functional Board is very important for the District residents health and safety.

The Board's job is the Health and Fire Safety of current residents; not land use such as Merriam Mountains Stonegate.

Escondeeter wrote on Jun 13, 2008 2:50 PM:Well son of a gun! It sounds like the administrators have finally concluded that fixing what we have is a much better use of taxpayer money, and a much quicker way of getting results, than starting over from scratch. Better late than never. Although if they'd figured this out five years ago, the money saved on studies would have funded it for a year or more.

It's an evolutionary process. As the small departments reach a level of parity they'll consolidate on their own, and they'll do it on a far more cost-effective basis than any top-down system could possibly accomplish.

Now if only the Board of Supervisors will actually listen to their staff this time...

Paul wrote on Jun 13, 2008 4:46 PM:Bernard,
Please be more lucid in your comment. Your statements are jumbled, disconnected, and incoherent. Sounds like your anger is clouding your blog.

to Paul wrote on Jun 14, 2008 1:56 AM:to Paul

We must join the hybrid fire merger plan immediately if Deer Springs FPD Board continues to pinch pennies and go back into the time when we had only 2 FF on each engine, and make other cuts that would negatively impact both FF and residents health and safety.

Actually, much more than pennies are needed to continue what the Asaro Board and others put in place in 2004 to keep us healthy and safe from fires and other disasters.

SD Union Trib article "Brush with danger" by Michael Burge July 11, 2004 explains what the Asaro Board and residents especially Tom Francl did to improve our Health and Fire & Disaster Safety.

2004 start ups included: Deer Springs Fire Safe Council, CERT, and the District's reverse 911 system.

"... the [Asaro] fire board [in 2004] approved a mail ballot request for an increase in a tax for fire services so the district could build and staff a third fire station and increase the number of firefighters on each engine from two to three."

Two of the current Board Directors voted NO to the already Asaro started Fire Station #3. These 2 directors are a detriment to the Board, to the Fire Fighters, and to the residents.

3 of the 4 Board Directors are not in tune with reality and know little or nothing about fire, health, medicine, cardiac arrest, response times (equations and more equations), etc.

2 directors (without any fire experience) wanted to get rid of the Fire Chief. Yes - Chief is gone. Bad for the FF and residents. The Fire Chief is an outstanding honest professional firefighter. The Fire Chief continues to work in a functioning environment elsewhere.

Seemingly these 3 directors want/need political power. They are sitting on a board that needs experts (fire, medicine, engineering, etc.) and fast competent learners. Directors are also needed that are respectful of other opinions, religion, intellect, and practice the District's Code of Conduct, etc.

The best thing for the Fire District is to join the hybrid fire merger plan.

Disclaimer: this blog is written without anger nor malice. Just facts and concern because selfish people are in charge. Similar to the inmates running the asylum.