Ensuring financial stability for the Fire District

By Peter F. Carpenter

The District must continue to exercise very tight control over its expenditures and future commitments. We must also resist any further diversion of taxes paid to the District to bail out non-Fire District activities.

Any excess revenues over existing expenses should be prioritized to the following uses:

a. Improved planning and preparation for community wide disasters.

b. Modernizing our physical facilities.

c. Improving our Urban Search and Rescue capabilities beyond that which is supported by FEMA. The recent deployment of our Task Force to the World Trade Center disaster demonstrated both the capabilities of our Task Force as well as the limitations that are imposed on the Task Force because it relies solely on FEMA funding. This Task Force is the best in the country and we should be sure that it has the support and resources necessary to perform at its fullest potential.

d. Implementing innovative response techniques (equipment pre-positioning, citizen disaster training etc.) which will reduce the adverse impact of increased congestion.