I wanted to take a moment to remedy what might be some confusion created by recent news releases issued by Councilman Logwood and to address issues raised in recent articles within the Herald-Argus.
First, there exists no dispute between the LaPorte City Fire Department and the LaPorte City Police Department. Under difficult circumstances created by the county’s inability to collect taxes, both the police and the fire departments have been working together to preserve resources and protect vital public services. Police and fire protection are both critical to our city, and one service has not, and will not, be sacrificed to benefit the other.
Second, Councilman Logwood has no basis upon which to make his proposals. I have a difficult time understanding how a junior council member who has never fought a fire and has made no effort to learn about the needs of the fire department can presume to dictate how the fire department will operate. Prior to voting “no” on the budget, Mr. Logwood never took the time to actually meet with me to learn the needs and requirements of the department.
Third, to suggest closing a fire station without a professional study to determine the community’s needs for fire protection is reckless. The number of fire stations and the location of fire stations that a community needs can only be determined from professional studies that examine industrial, commercial and residential needs and growth patterns of the community. These decisions are not properly made based on some heated political debate.
Fourth, in determining whether the city should have a volunteer fire department, the key numbers to look at are not necessarily the cost numbers. In a recent article in the Herald Argus, LaPorte’s response time of 3.00 minutes was compared to Ross Township’s response time of 6.28 minutes. In a full blown fire, it is amazing how much property can be destroyed and lives put at risk in 3.28 minutes.
Fifth, the quality of a fire department is not just a safety issue, it is an economic issue. A well equipped and properly trained municipal fire department plays a vital role in attracting business to the community and in keeping the cost of insurance low. Any manufacturing or commercial business looking to locate in LaPorte is going to want to know the city’s ISO (Insurance Service Organization) rating. A poor ISO rating means that any prospective business coming to LaPorte will face higher insurance costs, plus expose its employees and property to unsatisfactory fire risk.
Closing one of the city’s fire stations or changing to a volunteer department will adversely affect the ISO rating. This will result in significantly more insurance costs, most of which will land on our struggling businesses. Ultimately, either closing a fire station or going to a voluntary fire department are short-term false economies.
I am proud of the fire department and all the other city departments for their efforts in working their way through a financial crisis that was not created by anyone within the city, and I resent any council member exploiting the situation for his own political gain. In a news release in which Mr. Logwood decried political motives, he announced his own candidacy for office. There’s nothing much more political than that.
– Robert Sabie, Fire Chief, City of LaPorte
