I'm on military duty in Florida, filling in for a deployed active duty commander at the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), better known as our national bomb squad school. Here we train all the bomb squad personnel for our US military.
The last five years have seen a dramatic increase in our business, both overseas and domestically. We teach our students the skills to defuse the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that account for roughly half our battle casualties in Iraq.
We also teach our rookies to respect other public safety team members - police, paramedics and firefighters - as we're all on the same "911 team."
Though all US military are volunteers these days and might do the job for free, such is their dedication, we in leadership try to pay them well. They'll never get rich, but we want them to know we value highly their service.
Imagine my dismay reading the Enterprises my father mails me to see that our current Park Rapids City Council places high "priority" (Sept. 16) on such things as "a new cultural center, a new library, new parks and recreation and beautification," but publicly scolds our Fire Chief Randy McFarren for not attending budget meetings (Sept. 19) to request a raise for his volunteer firefighters. Our council has the nerve to counter his once-in-five-years request for $5 per hour with a paltry 50 cents, later generously raised to $1.
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Here's an idea - next time you notice the chief's not at a budget meeting, pick up the phone and call him. Better yet, get up, get in your car and go find the chief (follow the smoke and sirens). When you get there, ask him, "Chief, I know you're busy - what do you need?" Then leave him alone to do his job and go do yours. Give his firefighters their $5 raise (paid only when these volunteers are actually responding, I'm told). Then and only then are you allowed to think about new buildings and bushes.
Excel at the basics - that's the first job of local government. Public safety is basic.
Dave W. Konshok
Park Rapids City
Council candidate
