LEVY: Support your professionals

Whether it is a medical emergency, accident, fire or disaster, we assume that when we call 911 our local emergency responders will come quickly, have the state-of-the-art equipment, and the highest level of training possible. The Northern Lakes Fire District provides this level of service. They have professional personnel who provide excellent EMS care, as well as fire services to keep all of us safe. However, this all comes at a cost. A fire district does not have the same funding as a city or county fire department, and one of the most important types of funding sources is the fire levy. Just as the cost of living in our daily lives increases, so does the cost of providing a high level of Fire and EMS service to the public.

Over the last 20-30 years, the Fire Service has changed tremendously in their scope of practice and the services they provide. One example of this is that paramedics today can identify a true heart attack in the field and activate teams at the hospital before the patient even arrives. Upon arrival at the hospital, the patient gets sent immediately for treatment to clear blocked arteries, therefore saving the patient’s life. No longer does the fire service just put out fires. Responsibilities are huge, and this requires specialized equipment and training.

Other advances which have occurred in today’s Fire Service include hazardous materials mitigation, fire prevention and investigation, public education, wildland fire management, major disaster or terrorism response, technical rescue for confined space, swift water, lakes, and ice, vehicle extrication and state-of-the-art communications. Training, maintenance and advanced equipment, come with price tags. Older facilities often do not have the room to accommodate additional equipment or apparatus, occasionally requiring new construction or remodel, which incurs cost, but is ultimately beneficial to the public.

Today’s firefighter has to be a master of all trades, and trained to be able to safely deal with and mitigate any dangerous situation they could face in order to protect the public (that’s us). For about $1 a day per household (less than the cost of a cup of coffee), this levy will assure that the Northern Lakes Fire District can continue to provide the high level of service that we count on, now and in the future! Please vote on Nov. 6, and vote yes on the fire levy!

JOHN L. GRIMALDI

Hayden