To the editor:

Well, congratulations to the fire administrations of Orange, Liberty, Genoa and Harlem (townships). Thanks for confirming that you only want to steal money away from the rest of the county to fund your departments. I mean, why would you want to work inside your own means?

I see it this way: If you repurpose your medics to firefighters, you now have enough firefighters to fill the open seats on your engines. Is it better to sent five people on one engine, or truck, than three on a house fire? Doesn’t the National Fire Protection Association have some opinion on that?

Oh yes, please show me where in the Ohio Revised Code that you are required to provide emergency medical services! How often do you send an engine with the medic? And why do you do that?

You have the ability to increase your fire suppression capabilities and provide better fire protection to your taxpayers with no additional cost. You could actually reduce your overall expenditures and save money, but you have no incentive to save money, and that’s disturbing.

Let’s leave EMS to the people who want to work it, not those who use it to get on a fire department. Stop badgering the rest of the county. We have to, and can, work with what money we have. Why can’t you?

Randy Dilley

Retired firefighter

Ostrander