"Increased financial responsibilities include the King’s Fork Public Safety Center, additional police officers and dispatchers needed for public safety, increased local costs at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail, technology upgrades and other needed funds, according to Seward."
"Fire Chief Mark Outlaw and Police Chief Thomas Bennett asked for additional firefighters and police officers, as well as replacements for old emergency response vehicles."
“The police fleet is getting a little long in the tooth,” Bennett said. Twelve vehicles in the police department’s fleet have more than 130,000 miles, which is a maximum recommendation for mileage, Bennett said."
"On the fire department side, Outlaw stressed the need for additional vehicles, noting that some fire trucks are approaching 20 years of use on the front lines. Under ideal conditions, a fire vehicle would be used only 10 years on the front lines and 10 years as a backup."
Uh,,,listen just a minute fellows. Pretend the city is out of money, that most of us are over-assessed and taxed, and that we like to eat. See if you can make do for a little while. That new setup on Kings Fork wasn't exactly necessary but it does blend well with the overpriced school next door. Try hard, you can do it.
18 comments:
When an animal has been hand fed for years it cannot change it's habit. It will stand in the same place at the same time day after day waiting for the same hand to feed it. When the hand is not there with food it will instead be bitten, chewed and swallowed. Whether it be the Federal, State or Local Government we the tax payers are the hand, and it is now being bitten a finger at a time. I am convinced government employees cannot restrain themselves. They must have more money, equipment, offices, personnel every year to justify their importance and existance. There is no fiscal self-control nor checks and balances. When will the opiate of entitlement end is a difficult question to answer. However it will not be a happy ending for any of us.
I'm retired and do not have good health, I did not get a Social Security raise this year, I'm scared Medicare will be reduced at any time, my retirement is small, interest rates on my saving certificates have been reduced to about half, my light bill has been the highest this year ever, supplemental health insurance has increased, gas is steady going up, seems like each time I go to the Dr. it's a new pill I have to take and that cost , and there are other cost of living increases.
I need a new truck(don't have a car), my shed is about 30 years old and about to fall down and needs to be replaced, my lawn mower is about 15 years old and needs to be replaced, my roof is about 20 years old and needs to be replaced, my computer needs upgrades, repairs and tweaking, my refrigerator and dryer are 30 years old and will play out any day.
Even with the above I feel blessed and will do with what I have, I'll have to make do with my shed, lawn mower, roof , truck, refrigerator, dryer and computer.
I'm aware my concerns do not involve public safety or city services, but all city departments should be able to do with what they have except in the most extreme cases of need.
Somebody needs to tell the fire chiefs they can't be going out for lunch everyday on our tab. They go out as a group in their new Suburbans and each of them has a day when they pay for lunch. However it is the tax payers that are really paying the bill. Six men five days a week each paying ten dollars over a year buys a lot of hose, boots, turnout coats. If they try real hard they might save enough for a new fire truck. What da ya say Chief how about a brown bag lunch day for our sake.
I've got a simple solution ... let's cut the fire department payroll and go to a volunteer force. That way when Linda and her ban of class clown council men vote for a another bonus to city employees there will be less employess.
I found this to be good reading.
We back each MBE 900 with a standard, comprehensive warranty as dependable as the engine it protects. And the reason is simple: because quality comes first when you're number one — and we're committed to providing the best product support in the industry.
Your MBE 900 Warranty Features:On-Highway
Engine: 3 years, 150,000 miles, including 100% parts and labor
Accessories: 2 years, 100,000 miles, including parts and labor
Firetruck & EMS
Engine: 5 years, 150,000 miles
School Bus & Motorhome
Engine: 5 years, unlimited miles
YOU CAN even toughen up your warranty with special extended coverage options available through your Dealer or Distributor.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm a new truck? or extend the warranty?
I wonder which is the cheaper Chief?
Considering the amount of fire trucks scattered about in Suffolk we have a shortage of fires. I would ask the chief to produce a log of frequency and results. Chuckatuck does well with its few fire fighting vehicles and all volunteer fire fighters. When they need money they have another fish fry. And Pock, of "IS" peels potatoes and takes tickets at every one of them. I'm proud to be a volunteer fire fighter
Dear Chief Outlaw, What is a front line that you speak of? Suffolk doesn't have enough fires to get excited about. A check of the newspaper coverage of conflagrations in Suffolk indicates fires are rare and if there is wear it can only be from mileage. In the stations they are constantly maintained by men who have nothing else to do.
How many miles have been run up on promotions for the ciy? How many miles for Jerry's kids? How many miles to the grocery store?
The Chief is trying to rid himself of the "Volunteers". He is building an empire and all know it is so. There is mor ethan enough equipment and people in the department now and it is not the timne to add more fluff. IF the Chief does not get this, then time for him to go too!
The name fits Chief and Outlaw
I propose the Chief go on a diet. Instead of driving a $250,000 truck to grocery store or 7-Eleven, walk. It's good for the pulmonary system, endorfins kick in cutting the appetite and buy less to carry back. So far the only physical restraint he's shown is when he pushes back from the lunch table and reaches for a toothpick. It's time for a physical boys.
What will it be a Seagrave, American LaFrance or Mack. Which of these sales brochures are resting on the Chief's desk. No re-builds, re-sales will be considered. Chief Laidlaw is helping stimulate the economy and our collective nerve.
Did something happen to make Suffolk the South Bronx of Hampton Roads? Will police stations called Fort Apache become Little House on the Prarie after some imaginary conflagration in Chief Outlaws' mind? Chief if you think it's that important why not open your personal checkbook and stroke a big contribution to demonstrate you really mean what you say. As of this morning it's still a tax deduction.
The only fire that we need to set, is the one under the powers to be that can fire Outlaw. Who in their right mind would propose this spending in this economy when we are cutting teacher's pay? Talk about a hack, this guy needs to get real! I say hold the fire trucks, replace the chief and his little indians.
I thought firemen were good cooks. They even have their own sandwich shop down North Main Street. What's the problem if the Chief likes to frequently dine at his personal eatery. It's all free isn't it?
Since Suffolk needs new fire trucks and we're in tight fiscal times. How about a Fireman's Casino Night. It could be a hoty baughty time in town with funds raised by the private sector. More citizen participation would greatly enhance the department's status.
The Suffolk Fire Chief certainly does EAT. In a couple of days we'll read another puff piece from the SNH on the great job he and his staff or doing to save tax dollars.
The only fire chief you can these days is a thin one.
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