Did you know the Town of Thompson currently has 5 Fire Departments? These Fire Departments are sorely underfunded and in desperate need of new facilities. Each Department receives a grant from the town to cover operating and capital expenses. This current year, each Department received $62,000. This represents about a 36% increase from 5 years ago. The increases in recent years have not proven to be significant enough to bring these Departments into the 21st century.
As a Town, we can appropriate additional money to the Departments in the coming year, but is a fundamental change necessary as well? As Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” It is insane to think that we can just keep appropriating dollars to a system that may need to be revamped entirely.
I will admit that although I come from a long line of volunteer firefighters, I am no expert in fire department protocol or procedure. I do have an immense amount of respect and admiration for these warriors who answer the call day and night to serve their communities. They put themselves in harms way and expose themselves to situations that most of us could not handle. These men and women are our neighbors and friends. It is our responsibility as a town to provide adequate protective gear, equipment, and facilities so that these individuals are safe when answering the call of duty in our community.
There was a time when these Departments acted independently of the Town. Fund Raising efforts and donations were adequate to sustain operations. The costs associated with Emergency Services has risen to levels that chicken BBQ’s just cannot make up. As the Town bears most fire department expenses, the Departments begin to lose their independent standing. Consequently, reorganization needs to occur because, getting by “the way things have always been done” simply is not working anymore. The departments are currently discussing options of coming under the authority of one governing body or agency. I applaud the Departments as they search for ways to improve their facilities and the mechanism with which they currently operate. They have my full support as they explore options and unite to find solutions that will help them to advance into a new era of firefighting.
Amy St.Onge
First Selectman
Thompson