To the Editor:
Greenfield is growing by leaps and bounds and the current infrastructure is not able to support the rate of growth we are seeing. If Mr. Jackson (March 21 Letter to the Editor) looks at the number of calls GFT has seen over the last couple of years, he would see that the amount of calls has gone up considerably and the two fire stations we currently have will not be able to keep up with the amount of calls expected in the very near future if some changes aren’t made.
A new fire station is not a “toy” and the employees are not some spoiled children asking Santa for everything they can think of. This is the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and provide the community with the level of safety and service they expect.
What happens when the number of calls coming in can’t be accommodated by the staff because they are already out on other calls? Thankfully we have mutual aid with neighboring communities, but in any emergency situation, time is critical and having to wait for first responders to arrive from further away can mean the difference between life and death for someone in cardiac arrest or another similar circumstance.
It’s not realistic to expect that a place that has grown the way Hancock County has to not also grow its infrastucture and public safety to keep up with the new demands. If we continue to ask first responders to do the work of three people rather than hiring the additional staff that’s needed, or providing them with the equipment they need to do their jobs, we shouldn’t be surprised when we start losing staff to other departments that provide their employees with the tools and resources needed to do their jobs.
A third fire station is not a toy, it’s a necessity.
Carrie Cusenz
Greenfield
