Our state legislators have been working hard, especially this year, to address the situation trying to keep costs down so that taxes are not increased.
But the Valley’s volunteer firefighters, who risk their lives each and every day for the residents, became part of this year’s budget crunch. Some may recall, the Valley firefighters had trained at a fire school located right below the Commodore Hull Bridge. However, environmental concerns caused the facility to be closed many years ago.
Since that time, volunteer firefighters from around the Valley have had to travel long distances to places such as Fairfield and New Haven in order to obtain valuable training necessary to keep up with never-ending changes in the advancement of firefighting.
The Valley Regional Fire School, with the assistance of the State of Connecticut, several years ago purchased an 11-acre parcel of land to construct a new fire school in the Pine Bridge Industrial Park located in Beacon Falls. Plans have been drawn and all that was needed this year to start the physical construction of the fire school was the state providing the necessary funding.
However, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (114th District), and her caucus members, did not allow it to happen during the recent budget session that recently ended. Instead, Representative Klarides kept it away from the floor claiming that it was a “cost” the state could not afford. Whether or not that was the real reason, what is the “cost” for the new school for the Valley firefighters, who live in the various communities they serve, to receive the proper training so that they are prepared when that bell rings to battle a structure fire or are called upon to free someone trapped in a motor vehicle?
Representative Klarides and her caucus members may call it a “cost” that the taxpayers of the State of Connecticut could not afford this year. But what is the cost of a proper education for a firefighter whose actions may save a life? It should be noted that volunteer firefighters actually save not only lives and property, but also provide significant cost savings to our community.
Kevin Blake
The writer is a former Ansonia Alderman and fire commissioner.
