If my house is on fire, my only concern is that the fire gets put out quickly. I don’t care which rescue department shows up, as long as they get there fast.
In Pinellas County, when you call 911, dispatchers notify the closest fire station. In Hillsborough County, it depends on where you live.
For instance, consider the recent fire at the Oaks at Granada. The Oaks is an apartment complex off of 56th St., just a bit south of the Hillsborough River. The closest fire station is 1.6 miles away in Temple Terrace, but Temple Terrace borders the river on the north, so the apartments are not in their jurisdiction.
Among the first respondents were firefighters from a Hillsborough County fire station, 2.2 miles away from the apartments, and a Tampa Fire Rescue crew who came from 3 miles away at 30th Street and Hillsborough Avenue.
Sure it’s just a bit more than a half mile further away, but if it’s your house on fire, I’m sure you would love to have them there 30 seconds earlier.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe has called for a ‘unified call center’ so that the closest station can respond to a fire. Unfortunately, to those involved, politics is much more important than keeping our neighbors safe.
Check out the quotes from the article:
Capt. Mark Bogush of Tampa Fire Rescue: “If Tampa fights a fire that’s in the county because we’re closer, if a fire breaks out in the city, we can’t serve the people who pay their taxes in the city.”
Based on this logic, we shouldn’t shop in Tampa, either – unless we live within Tampa city limits.
Michael Dunn, Temple Terrace Fire Department spokesman: Temple Terrace explored the idea of joining their call center with the county two years ago, Dunn said, but ultimately decided against the cost-saving measure.
“Our people know our area,” Dunn said. “If there was an accident in Lowman Park and the caller didn’t know the exact address, if they said Lowman Park our dispatch would know where the person was. So there is a safety issue.”
Apparently there is a class available ONLY to those of us with “Temple Terrace” in our address, that gives the secret location of a “Lowman Park.” Makes you wonder how anyone could find the boat explosion on Beer Can Island, since it’s real name is Pine Key.
Bogush, Dunn, Hillsborough Fire Rescue, and the rest of you knuckleheads need to sit down and figure this out. With the budgets all a mess, now’s a good time to learn how to work together to save all of us some money, and perhaps save some lives, too.
GKR
10 months ago
Mike Dunn is just the Temple Terrace PR guy, the guy you want is Temple Terrace City Manager Kim Leinbach.
junebee
10 months ago
That’s much like insurance not covering Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue because it’s not a preferred provider. What, I should shop around for my preferred provider in a medical emergency? Hello!? There should be some exceptions to these situations for fire and ambulance. Their services are crucial if they are the first ones on the scene. Location and/or insurance company shouldn’t matter. Yes, they need to be paid but their should be some sort of reciprocal billing arrangement.
Darl
10 months ago
I’m only about six blocks from my firestation but when my house caught on fire, I wound up waiting for one several miles away to get here. I have no idea why. Needless to say, my pets were dead by then. I agree that the closest to you should respond. And I also agree that fire rescue who is much more trained and professional than these ambulance drivers, should arrive and at least diagnose. I have had rude ambulance and incompetent ambulance personel that actually told a feeble, blind 83 year old stroke victim with a broken hip that she had to “walk” to the stretcher. Oh yea, I am anti ambulance these days.
Das Mikey
10 months ago
glad I live in Pinellas county – woo hoo!
Das Mikey
10 months ago
I am glad that I live in Pinellas county – woo hoo!