I know of one case where a firefighter filed a grievance claiming an unsafe condition existed, because another firefighter was too grossly overweight to be capable of rescuing him if he needed help. Ask the U.S. Fire Administration how many firefighters who died on duty were at the scene of a fire when they died. Most were at the station or responding to a call. More is not always better, unless your only goal is to get more. Absent that proof, those officials elected by the taxpayers should be free of outside interference to determine the acceptable level of risk for their own community.
Fire suppression is but one of many services demanded by our residents.
There is no new revenue source, and the state takes 86 percent of our property tax, so any increases in the cost of fire suppression must be taken from the budget of another city department. When we add staff to a fire engine or give a command officer a driver, the public will not see any immediate or direct benefit. The NFPA mission statement says they develop scientifically based consensus standards. The NFPA has done much great work. 1710, however, does not meet that standard.