Volunteer Firefighters Put Lives on the Line
Nov 25th, 2009 | By DMS | Category: Campaign News, EventsVolunteer Firefighters Put Lives on the Line
Every day, we hear the piercing sirens and we take it for granted. We see the metallic red trucks race by with lights flashing and we take it for granted.
It’s easy to take our fire protection in Dover for granted because we have some of the most dedicated, well-trained and hard-working firefighters in the state. When that siren sounds, we know that our volunteer firefighters will respond rapidly and put the fire out quickly and safely.
Recently, the Dover Fire Department offered a training session at the state Fire School for elected officials and other local government officials. We jumped at the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of what a firefighter’s average day entails. We donned the protective gear, the helmets, faceguards and oxygen tanks and then had to put out a fire. It was quite an experience. If you turned your head the wrong way, you could feel the heat burning. We got to experience a small sample of what they endure on a daily basis, working in intense heat while contending with a heavy breathing apparatus.
Rep. Bennett and Rep. Darryl Scott - Photo by Dave Chambers, Delaware State News
After spending some time literally walking in their boots, you gain a new appreciation for the job they do day in and day out, 1,000 times a year. This experience gave us a great perspective of what our volunteer firefighters deal with when they are protecting the public and putting their lives on the line.
Our firefighters’ dedication, knowledge and skill are all the more impressive when you consider that they are a volunteer force – they aren’t paid for risking their lives. These are our family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends, and they spend countless hours training for and responding to emergencies.
Many people do not realize that we have all-volunteer fire companies in Kent County. If we were forced to pay for that level of service, the cost would be exorbitant. The value they bring to our community through service and savings is tremendous. We deeply and humbly thank our volunteer firefighters and emergency services personnel and encourage everyone to help support them in any way possible.
Sincerely,
Darryl M. Scott E. Bradford Bennett Brian Bushweller
State Representative State Representative State Senator
31st District 32nd District 17th District
What is your position on the consolidation of school distrcits in the state? As a voter in your distrct, I hope that you are in favor of this. The Colonial distrct issue , as published in today’s New’s Journal, is just one more reason for consolidation and more transparency in managing the business of education in our state.
I do believe significant dollars can be save through consolidation allowing greater investment in the classroom. SB 95, sponsored by Senator Karen Peterson, proposes to consolidate the 19 school districts to four. I signed on as the prime sponsor in the House – one of the first pieces of legislation I sponsored in my first session.
The auditor published a report stating consolidation could save $50 million and the administration has stated an intent to publish there own report. Independent of consolidation I will continue to push for the centralization of services across districts and within the Department of Education.