Escambia County needs to face the realization that volunteer fire departments don’t work in heavily residential and commercial areas. The idea of neighborhood volunteers who work within minutes of a fire station being able to make fire calls within 5-10 minutes of the alarm not longer works. It’s also difficult for these volunteers to get 160 hours of training while working other jobs.
County commissioners realized this long ago when they established full-time, professional fire stations on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. You can’t fight fires in flip-flops or clang a bell, like in the movies, and have everybody empty the bars and restaurants to go fight a fire down the street.
The answer is not for the county to hire more full-time FF. Instead, the City of Pensacola boundaries need to be expanded. Folks, the counties can’t provide the same level of service that cities do – for code enforcement, law enforcement and fire protection. If they do try, you will see their budgets continue to balloon – and still not be satisfied.
County residents aren’t as safe as city residents. County residents pay less taxes and get what they pay for…maybe