THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200257
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Below is a partial text of remarks by Lloyd Beazley, president of the Firefighters Local 539 of the International Association of Firefighters, at the Jan. 10 public hearing on the budget:
We have four engines that are over 25 years old, one ladder 30 years old, one ladder 26 years old, the other ladder, Cavalier Manor, is 18 years old. Engine (13) that is in Churchland would not start to respond to a medical run to Churchland Junior High School last week. The starter had to be hit with a hammer and then it would start this time. This delayed response time.
Engine 11 would not start last week three times in one 24-hour shift. Another engine had to be dispatched. Again this (took) more time.
These problems are not due to poor and improper maintenance. Some of our equipment is just plain worn out. We need new apparatus. If our replacement program is delayed for a year we will fall further behind. The citizens of Portsmouth expect help when they dial 911. This becomes more difficult for us to accomplish with all the aging apparatus that Portsmouth has.
At times you have been told that our engines pass apparatus tests every spring. Those tests . . . state that an engine can draft water from the Elizabeth River and discharge it at a given rate and pressure. The tests do not address the state of readiness of the motor and running gear of that apparatus.
When we're responding to a medical emergency we need to know that our equipment will start and that it can be driven to the emergency safely.
Public safety should be our No. 1 priority. I'm asking you tonight to approve the CIP with our fire apparatus still included. Please remain committed to the fire apparatus replacement program.
I know it's hard to sit up there and make decisions between ballfields and fire apparatus and schools or police officers. But (the) engine that was going to respond to Churchland Junior High School, the child was at the school, and he needed help and he had a delayed response in us getting there.
We had a run before Christmas to Windy Pines and when I got there (an 11-year-old) boy was burned up and he's still over at Norfolk Sentara Hospital. And we did the best we could do. It took us 10 minutes to get there and these types of things with the old (apparatus), it's bad on us and it's bad on the citizen.
And I don't know what you want me to carry back to our men and women. We've gone and we've stretched as far as we can stretch. And to cut this apparatus out is sending the signal to us that we've got to wait longer and longer. And I think fire apparatus is more important than any football field and any I.C. Norcom High School being built anywhere in this city.
I depend my life and those citizens depend their life on this equipment. And I think it's an injustice.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMETN by CNB