For Weber, it's the end of the era. I call them my people because I'm serving them. Now people are going to be losing that service and that's what hurts. The job cuts come as Florida suffers from the ravages of three years of drought conditions. Forestry officials are sounding the alarm about the job cuts.
Fire watchers play a critical role in detecting fires, they say.
The fire watchers were instrumental in detecting fires in 1998, when wildfires raced across Volusia and Flagler counties, added Mike Kuypers, manager of the Bunnell Fire District. Statewide, about 15 percent of fires are reported by the tower watchers each year. But, as people move into formerly rural areas, the profession is being crowded out by development. The vast majority of fires now get reported by cellular phones or nearby residents. The forestry division also conducts air patrols, which are expected to be beefed up in the absence of full-time sentries.