There are a lot of pressing financial needs in this country, but we will limit our comments here to the fire service's needs because of who we are and because of our fire audience.
With all the heightened homeland security issues that the fire service is facing comes an amazing fact: in New York City, six engine companies recently were closed because of budget cuts. These FDNY firefighters dealt with the death and destruction at Ground Zero and months of recovery efforts following 9/11. Thousands of these firefighters suffered ailments and hundreds upon hundreds have retired, not knowing what these exposures they suffered may cause in the future. The literal first responders of the Big Apple who the citizens of their city count on for every type of emergency possible now have to do with out six neighborhood fire companies. Manning on most FDNY engine companies is apparently going to be reduced from five firefighters to four. This is due to contractual negotiations dealing with sick leave. While most of the fire service operates with less manpower and would love to have the FDNY numbers, these FDNY units have always operated with a larger crew.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry contends that President George W. Bush has failed to deliver on $20 billion in aid that was promised after the World Trade Center attack, even as the financially strapped city is closing firehouses. Newsday quoted Kerry as saying, "We shouldn't be opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them in New York City" and that "New York deserves more help than it is getting from the Bush administration."
It amazes me that Iraq, a country that was responsible for terrorism, human rights violations, torture and who knows what else will now be rebuilt by the United States and other countries. Soldiers of the United States and its allies were killed and continue to be killed almost every day fighting this enemy. Despite this horrific toll, we now have to make their country better than new. Hundreds of millions of American dollars were found while soldiers searched for the enemy. I read with disbelief that the money was going to stay in that country.
Elected officials and those in power in the United States close firehouses every day across the country because of a lack of manpower and money. Those responsible for the budget dollars lay off firefighters and cannot provide sufficient manpower to allow a safe and coordinated attack on most structural fires. But somehow the federal government continues to spend money all over the world every year even though there are many fire departments right here in this country that could use an infusion of needed funds immediately. Traveling around the country, you can find fire stations that resemble the Taj Mahal, but you can also see many others that should be demolished at once. There are more needy departments than you may think.
Here's one more amazing fact: at a recent funeral for a probationary FDNY firefighter killed at the World Trade Center, all that was buried was a blood sample that he had given for a bone marrow donor program. Of the 343 firefighters killed that day, 208 remain unaccounted for. We are thankful to the Congress and Senate and all the fire organizations that battle on our behalf every year. Federal dollars have been coming our way, a lot more than we have ever dreamed, but they have to keep the money train coming. It's a long way to the next station.
People responsible for establishing a single memorial at Ground Zero want to list the civilian, police, fire and EMS fatalities with no separate identification, just a list of names. I traveled to Pearl Harbor earlier this year and visited the USS Arizona Memorial. Listed on the wall of the memorial over the sunken wreckage are the names and ranks of all those who were killed on the Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941. On the National Park Service website, the names of the civilians and all military personnel killed in the attack are listed by the rank and the location where they died in and around the harbor. This includes three Honolulu firefighters.
On page 96 we present "Hearts on Fire," by Dr. Jeffrey Fisher. This article focuses on heart attacks, the number one killer of firefighters. A report everyone will want to read. Remember, you are our most important resource.
