By Eric Latimer
Special to The Globe
SPRINGFIELD, MO. —
When we think of our community, we want to think that we live in a safe place. This is one reason why people live where they do. On Aug. 3, the city of Neosho will be asking the voters to approve a tax levy that will go to fund city services. Public safety is one of the critical services that will be funded by your “yes” vote.
Currently, the Neosho Fire Department has a staff of eight firefighters per day between two fire stations that are able to respond to your emergencies. The average response time to your emergency is five minutes, 44 seconds. Last year your firefighters responded to 1,504 emergencies in the Neosho area. Unfortunately, last month the fire department had to lay off the training officer and freeze an upcoming deputy chief position due to budgetary issues. Both positions are critical in providing a professional and effective fire department.
The National Fire Protection Association says that to have an effective response to a fire, you need to have a minimum of 14 to 15 firefighters to respond within nine minutes of the time the fire department was notified. Also, the NFPA states that four of the total amount of firefighters need to arrive within the first five minutes of being notified. This will allow a greater chance of survival of someone trapped in the fire and lower property loss. Along with the eight firefighters responding to your emergency, there might be other fire departments that might respond as well to assist. They could be as much as 10 to 15 minutes away. As firefighters, our goal is to protect your life and property, but we need the tools and resources to achieve them.
A “yes” vote on Aug. 3 will ensure you that your firefighters with the Neosho Fire Department will be able to respond to your emergencies with the current amount of staffing. It’s not about a property tax levy, it’s about maintaining our public safety and ensuring that Neosho is a safe place for our families.
Eric Latimer
Missouri State Council of Firefighters
Springfield
