Firefighters Forced To Pay For Gear, Engine Fuel

In Rick Perry's Texas, Firefighters Forced To Pay For Gear, Engine Fuel

WASHINGTON -- In Texas, firefighters aren't just battling the wild fires raging around Austin and Houston. The state's first responders have also had to deal with budget cuts affecting everything from fuel purchases to hoses and oxygen tanks.

In some cases, fire officials say, firefighters have had to pay out of pocket for basic necessities like proper protective gear and fuel to get them to the scene. One fire department that battled the blazes in Bastrop County had to pay for a hose, recalled Bastrop City Fire Chief Henry Perry, speaking to The Huffington Post during a break from working the wild fires.

"That fire department has been on this fire every day," he said. "Before this fire, they were having to buy stuff out of their own pocket." Perry said he knows of at least one other department whose firemen had to pay for equipment maintenance and engine fuel.

Earlier this week, HuffPost reported that Gov. Rick Perry, the GOP front-runner for president, had signed off on millions in firefighting cuts as part of the state's most recent budget legislation. The Texas Forest Service's funding has gone from $117.7 million in the 2010-2011 budget years to $83 million in the 2012-2013 budget years.

Severe cuts have also hit assistance grants to volunteer fire departments throughout Texas. The grants decreased from $30 million per year in 2010 and 2011 to $13.5 million per year in 2012 and 2013. These are cuts that firemen are now dealing with.

"I don't agree with it. I understand what Governor Perry did," said Henry Perry (no relation). "Do I like it? No. I don't like it at all."

The cuts come at a time when Texas fire departments have already been slowing purchases of new fire trucks and other critical equipment as a way to save money, said Guy Turner, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. The association had endorsed Perry in his re-election for governor in 2010.

"What I fear will happen is equipment will start to fail and put our members at peril," Turner explained. "You can imagine if you're inside a structure fire and your engine quits."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/0 ... 56307.html

Whatta guy, that ol' Rick Perry. Yessiree, now there's a guy who knows how to cut a budget and take care of his people... Oh, and firefighters---Don't leave home without your Visa card...

But hey, it's smaller government, right? So it's good.

I guess you don't remember the summer of 2002 fires like I do, when local fds were in need of funds to buy fuel, fix fire station bay doors, etc., etc.

So, you're saying it's okay with you... Got it. Well, since Bill Owens, (another Republican) was governor at the time, I can see where you would be okay with that.

Amazing the interpretations you can put on things.

We got concerned citizens to take care of the problem, all you seem to think of is the almighty government should take it from everyone's pocket.

Yeah... Silly me... I keep making the mistake of thinking that if the county or state government hires people to do a job for the public, then they have a right to expect that they will be provided with the funds necessary to do the job they were hired for. And yeah, I guess police, firefighters, etc., budgets DO come from the taxpayer's pockets....

Damn... I forgot!

I'm quite sure if any consertvative here was hired for a job in private industry they would be royally pissed if their new employer required them to buy their own computer, desk, and chair from their take home pay. But it makes sense, if the workers buy their own stuff.....hey they could even contribute to the cost of utilities for the building, then that would lower costs for the customers. Maybe even the public would help out to keep costs lower. GREAT IDEA jf1.

Obviously you also forgot that TX, like most of our rural fire departments, relies heavily on volunteers. That is, people who are concerned enough to put their time and money where their mouth is, and actually do something rather than sit on their ass and b*tch that the government isn't taking care of their every need. Some call it taking personal responsibility.

And BTW, volunteers aren't 'hired', they do the job because they think they should.

Should they also get public support? Of course they should!

Should they get government support when their efforts, and support from their community, are totally overwhelmed? Of course they should.

But unfortunately, 'government support' almost always comes with strings attached. Like funds for radio equipment, that the government thinks is great, but doesn't work in the area or application involved.

I totally support the volunteers, and think that other citizens should do so also. But the 'locals' know a whole lot better what they really need than the government bureaucrats do.

As long as it is perceived that the 'government' is taking care of all the needs, however inefficiently, it is difficult to get concerned citizens to donate to what is really needed.

I don't know what the 'perfect' solution is, but total federal or state control is NOT the answer, IMO.

Nice retort jf1....none of the points you argue against were made by anyone, but if they had been you had the answers.

archer wrote: I'm quite sure if any consertvative here was hired for a job in private industry they would be royally pissed if their new employer required them to buy their own computer, desk, and chair from their take home pay. But it makes sense, if the workers buy their own stuff.....hey they could even contribute to the cost of utilities for the building, then that would lower costs for the customers. Maybe even the public would help out to keep costs lower. GREAT IDEA jf1.

Such broad brush strokes makes for nice inflammatory copy but clearly misses the mark. I'm more conservative on many issues than liberal, but do not fit the pigeon holes you guys like to put people into. Most private industry will not allow you to bring such items to work. They prefer control, especially on the computer side. Even so, it did not prevent me from routinely buying my own laptop and using it at work. The problem came in connecting it to the network. I did that because I wanted the best computer possible and was impatient to wait the year or more it took to possibly get the computer you wanted. It did not piss me off at all. Such items are tools of my trade and I've no problem with purchasing such things. But go ahead and smoke what ever you want. Anything to make a point right?