Thursday, May 11, 2000 Public safety is at risk if override fails By BOB CUNHA GUEST COLUMNIST On May 22 the residents of Lexington will be asked if they will approve a 3.7 million dollar operational override. We have read in this same column what an override is and why this particular override is needed to maintain the quality of services enjoyed by all residents. What needs to be said is how devastating a loss of this override will be to fire and emergency medical services and impact public safety. The $720,000 at risk on the override is an overwhelming 21 percent decrease to the fire and emergency medical services operating budget. Should the override fail it will have a tremendous affect on every single operation of the fire department, as would any substantial cut to a town budget. The cuts will close the East Lexington Fire Station located on Massachusetts Avenue permanently, eliminating the rapid deployment of the Semi-Automatic External Defibrillator, life saving medical equipment and certified EMTs. The loss of this strategically-located fire station will nearly double the response time to an emergency town-wide. One-quarter reduction of the fire department workforce will severely hinder our ability to deliver emergency services to a community, which is demanding more services each year. These cuts will eliminate the ability to respond to multiple calls for fires and medical emergencies resulting in a loss of $80,000 in EMS billable revenue. The loss of fire personnel will also severely impact our non-emergency roles with decreased fire inspections, elimination of public and school fire safety education, and our ability to maintain an adequate training program. To suggest that a 21 percent reduction in the fire fighting force would have minimal impact on the level of fire services in a community is bizarre. Reducing the level of public fire protection is a life-and-death compromise, one that jeopardizes the lives of the public as those that protect them. Under the best of conditions fire fighting has always been one of the most hazardous occupations in the country. Sending an inadequate number of fire fighters to the scene of a structural fire does not simply shortchange the protection of the building and its occupants. It borders on wanton disregard for the safety and well being of the firefighters. It is an attitude that cannot be justified. When you are healthy and young you never think of the best hospitals or doctors you would go to if you get sick or injured. No one ever dreams of a fire starting within their home or how they would respond to an emergency, other than calling 911. However, when someone is stricken by a sudden illness or accident and needs to call 911, they want the best in emergency medical care and the highest level of protection to respond to their needs. That's why it's important to support the fire department on this override. Many say that serious fires do not occur anymore. Think back to January when on a quiet winter day, no one asleep, no one helpless, and nothing out of order five people lost their lives in a fast moving fire. This fire occurred in a Newton office building not much different in size to similar buildings in Lexington on Hartwell Avenue or Hayden Avenue. Just last week in neighboring Concord fire struck a professional medical office building, destroying more than 120 small businesses in another fast moving fire. In just the last few months in Lexington, we have seen devastating fires on Mass Ave. in East Lexington, Birdhill Road and James Street. Last year alone over a million dollars in property loss was attributed to fire. These fires are a ruthless reminder that no one can be complacent about the danger of fire. It is a merciless threat that requires constant vigilance to prevent and adequate resources to suppress. Many people responsible for budgeting public safety feel they are able to evaluate resources required to provide effective fire and emergency medical services in accordance with the financial capabilities. It is as though fire fighting and emergency medical requirements are connected to and move along a mysterious sliding scale that adjusts to the dollar available to support these services. This could not be further from the truth. Quite simply, one needs to identify the level of effective fire protection and emergency medical services the community requires and utilizes. Then work backwards, using existing standards and recommended practices to create an organization capable of controlling fire and performing rescue functions safely. Once defined, then provide adequate funding to maintain that organization. Your "yes" vote will maintain the fire department, as you know it. We also ask that you demand some accountability for those that placed your public safety in such a vulnerable position. As professional firefighters, we would be eager to embrace an examination of our department by qualified professionals in the field of emergency services. That would base the level of protection and need on industry standards, rather than an opinion based solely on financial demand. We cannot continue to allow non-fire professionals to draw faulty conclusions about the level of fire and emergency medical services a community needs. The cost will be measured in lives lost, not dollars saved. Bob Cunha is a Lexington resident, Town Meeting member, a professional firefighter/EMT, a fire officer and president of the Lexington Fire Fighters Union Local 1491