BERLIN – A dwindling grant from the town and rising operating costs prompted a new emergency response fee, according to Berlin Fire Company officials.
In response to criticism from residents last week regarding an emergency response fee now in effect, the Berlin Fire Company (BFC) reached out to The Dispatch to share the reasoning behind the new charge.
“We’re not trying to hurt the taxpayers, we’re just billing for services,” said David Fitzgerald, BFC president.
According to Fitzgerald, the Berlin Fire Company has been billing for EMS services since they were initiated in 1965. Fire response billing, however, is something new that’s being tried throughout the country. Here in Berlin, Fitzgerald said it was something BFC membership started considering as a way to boost revenue. In most cases, he said auto and home insurance companies would cover the charge.
“The fire company has had to think of ways to generate revenue because from 2008-2012, the fire company was being funded at $342,000,” Fitzgerald said. “The current fiscal year, the operating funds coming from the town is $116,000. That’s a substantial difference. Most departments get extra each year.”
One word: fundraisers. Enough tourists flock to Berlin to enable raising a small fortune through bake and trinket sales.
What people fail to realize is the day of Volunteers is pretty much gone. The push for ALL careers is because volunteers can not take off, or drive with traffic to get to calls. in the 80’s 90’s Volunteers ran fire stations with career support. The money that was saved from this group was huge. All volunteers want to become careers because they love the work. So what happened, the volunteers who became career wanted to push volunteers away saying they were out of date, could not do the training requirements which were changed by them. The volunteers are insufficient and no longer viable in most career FF eyes. Its funny 99% of the career was volunteer, now they are the ones that want to remove it. So NOW – we need money to make this work and have no one to do “FUND raisers”
100 percent correct.
Sure that makes sense – dont worry insurance with cover it – then premiums go up because of it. Yeah the Demoncrap way of thinking.
I have a great ideas – how about selling memberships and different levels.
example:
Tier 1 Platinum – Full fire service immediate response on calls
Tier 2 Gold – Response within 5 minutes of your calls
Tier 3 Silver – Will answer when we can
Tier 4 Bronze – Get there when we can
Un Paid – Leave a Message
What happened to Public Service?
👎 11:50
Fitzgerald soaked up all he could in Wicomico County and now is spending Berlins tax money like it is his. Next he will run for some political office like the rest of the cops and farmen..
TAXPAYERS are TAXED to provide fire services.
POLITICIANS spend the money on rainbow sidewalks, bike lanes, gay flags, and Queer-for-the-day at the local library.
Now, the fire companies want not only taxpayer funding, but want to CHARGE those same people for their services.
Why don’t politicians do what WE do? Cut spending and manage the money you have…..
Quit funding Puff and Fluff BS, control spending, and prioritize. Ex: instead of spending $300,000 on gay pride flags, books and posters, and painting sidewalks to show how much we love gay people, spend it on the fire department.
Or quit your job, Mr. Politician.
You aren’t doing it very well.