Oops, we forgot to tell ya!

We have firemen and their families, various local “civic” groups, county commissioners; fire commissioners, new-city wannabes, and a lot of brain-dead local sheep who are beating the bushes with tales of horrible consequences if we cut any firemen.

All these folks have one agenda: where can they get enough money to continue with “business as usual” and keep all the “necessary” numbers of firemen?

They are not looking for facts concerning the safety of the community they are looking to continue the fire department’s bureaucracy which perpetuates the continuing influence firemen have on elections (this same strategy applies to the coppers and our precious non-performing teachers also).

The potential horror stories being spread are what amuse me the most: same ole lies; same ole doom-and-gloom strategy: “the world is gonna end if we get rid of any of our heroes.” Consistent with that tripe our “leaders” bemoan their mantra: “we gotta find some money!”

The truth is the facts about minimum levels of fire protection are available and always have been but no one has bothered to tell you about it.

You see, each government-service agency is required to have an insurance policy. This policy covers potential civil liability the government agency may incur if it fails in its obligation to the community. There is (and always has been) a body that dictates the minimum standards and the specified obligations required of the government agency.

So, with that said let me tell you there is an answer to the horror stories and it is the Insurance Service Office (ISO).

What is the ISO? It is the district’s insurance underwriters and it is they who decide everything that has to do with the department’s minimum requirements. They know what must be done and they demand what must be done. They are the ones that are held financially accountable if the government agency is lacking.

By systematically and empirically studying our community’s demographics the ISO determines how many men (and most other facets of the department) are needed. The ISO is the department’ “boss” so to speak. There is no way around the ISO.

So, as you can see, it makes no difference what you think, what I think, what the Fire Commission thinks, what the county thinks or what the union thinks – the ISO sets the standards – the ISO’s standards are cut in stone. When minimums are not met you WILL hear from the ISO!

Have you heard any of our “leaders” state the fire department has not met its minimum obligations? No, you haven’t heard as they have planned to keep you in the dark on this fact.

Now then, how many of you out there know about the ISO or have been made aware that such an agency exists? How come none of the fire commissioners refer to the ISO?

Who DOES know about the ISO? All the “leaders” I mentioned above know about the ISO yet they haven’t mentioned this fact to you, have they?

The new-city wannabes tell us we will “get local control” if we incorporate, right? Well the new-city wannabes are part of the crowd keeping the truth from you so we are fortunate to get a “sneak preview” of what is to come from those folks.

Moving on, you may ask, “Since no one has even mentioned the ISO then what personnel numbers are being used to “justify” the department’s head count?” The answer is it is the union’s recommendations, of course.

Yep, the union is allowed to set the “standards” and those numbers are used as “base lines.”

Do any of you believe the union “pads” these numbers and creates as many positions as they can? You better believe they are padded; it is job security for them. The union’s basic ambition is to create more union members and the cost is of no concern! Ain’t it great to be in America?

I know this about the unions as I saw it first-hand as a UAW local union president with over 9,000 members. I also witnessed this plan of action in the two police departments I worked for. The union furnishes the “standard” numbers and the cities “obey.”

As an example of the union’s lust for over-population let’s look into this more closely and examine one of the fire department’s “policies”: when there is a fender-bender auto-accident the fire department sends 80 rescue wagons, four fire engines, 35 supervisors, 61 firemen, three Cub Scouts, 46 Red Cross volunteers, Public Information Officer Patrick Comer with an “attaboy” letter from Obama, and three partridges from a pear tree to the scene! Is this policy mandated by the ISO? Nope. But the union “standards” “justify” this plan of action and that is what is implemented.

This shameful and wasteful policy is expensive, dangerous, unnecessary, and requires the department to sustain unrealistic numbers of fire and “support” personnel which is exactly what the union desires (kin of reminds one of cross-district bussing of our school kids, eh?).

What should be done to legitimately investigate the fire department? First, the leaders should furnish and distribute certified copies of each ISO report for the past three years.

Why certified copies? Because that way an elected official (by virtue of his oath of office) has to “swear” to the authenticity of the ISO reports. Certification is the attempt to ensure the ISOs have not been compromised.

After obtaining the ISO reports the minimum personnel requirements should be compared to the existing numbers and adjusted appropriately. Again, all our “leaders” know this but they are not doing it, are they?

Is there any question in your mind as to the integrity and intent of the new-city wannabes and what they will do once they are in office and “serving the public?”

Is there any question as to the integrity and intent of the fire commissioners whose job it is to represent the legitimate needs of our community?

Is there any question as to the integrity of all the other elected officials whose job it is ensure a fair and equitable bargaining agreement on behalf of the taxpayers?

The ISO sets the guidelines. Not the union. Not the media. Not Obama. The guidelines are based on facts and not hysteria. The ISO is intended to be an engineered and concise document specifying the true needs of the community.

I cannot wait to hear what our “leaders” say to your questions regarding the ISO. You are going to ask, aren’t you?

Keith Kaye

Lehigh Acres