President of the Anchorage Firefighters Union, Local 1264, Mike Stumbaugh argues that cuts to the Anchorage Fire Department could jeopardize lives. He says one proposed cut would shut down a water truck and tender apparatus, compromising the department’s ability to effectively respond in emergency situations.
“Closing a water truck and water tender will increase response times dramatically, potentially be the difference between living and dying,” Stumbaugh said. “I’m not overstating the importance of these specialized apparatus.”
Stumbaugh says he’s been a civil servant in public safety for over 21 years. He says a delay of five minutes in delivering water to a burning home can be the difference in life or death, and cuts to public safety can affect victims of tragedies as well as the ability of fire fighters to do their jobs. “We want to grow our services, not retract them,” Stumbaugh said. “Cutting over $2 million from public safety has the potential to be catastrophic, not only for my membership, but for the entire city of and its residents. I urge you to look elsewhere for savings, and not put our lives on the line.”