Emergency Services for All
Let’s talk for a moment about something where I think there is a clear role for the government to play, and that is in the area of emergency services.
Emergency Services for All. Photo from my own archive.
In rural areas, fire departments have long been (and may still be) volunteer efforts. Even in the suburban place where I live, Ellicott City Maryland, the fire department is still partially staffed by volunteers.
But fire departments of the 21st century are increasingly needing expensive equipment and specialized skills which are harder and harder to maintain. I am paying a “fire tax” as part of my real estate property tax, at a rate of $0.176 (seventeen and a half cent) for every $100 in value in my property.
This “fire tax” is a tax I do not mind paying, because it does give me a lot of security and protection if ever I need it. I know that the fire and rescue services will be there when I need them. I have not needed to use them, but in the past 20 years I have seen them in our street a couple of times.
And then there is the emergency preparedness. The federal FEMA is in charge of that. We have all seen how FEMA responds to national disasters and emergencies.
I always thought that each state’s National Guard was also there to respond in emergencies. It does seem that this is no longer the case, that the National Guard is now considered just and extension of the army and deployed to fight in overseas conflicts. I’m not quite sure how much sense that makes.
I would expect FEMA and the National Guard to be on standby to respond to any disaster, whether it is natural or man-made. I expect them to have the resources to house and provide for residents who get displaced, too provide medical treatment when when there are tens of thousands of injured people, and to run recovery operations even when a major city or region gets hit by a disaster. Including the ability to build temporary roads and bridges and to recover people trapped in rubble.
I don’t think emergency services are quite up to the tasks I would expect of them. I think they need more money, and maybe a more direct focus on their role in an emergency (with the necessary regular training) than they are currently getting.
Eric Grivel
March 26, 2018