As an ardent supporter of Tri-County Volunteer Fire Department, I have been following the news about all our volunteer fire departments in Hernando County for a number of years. Masaryktown was the first department to be shut down by the county in the late 1990's. Hernando County Commissioners then tried to eliminate the Tri-County Volunteer Department's service in the Nobleton/Istachatta but the people fought back to save to their volunteer department. These same citizens used the power of the ballot box in 2000 to eliminate the commissioners that tried to shut down Tri-County Volunteer Fire Department.
It now looks like the High Point Volunteer Fire Department is in the sights of County Commissioner Diane Rowden as the next to go on the chopping block. Ms. Rowden has been quite vocal in her plans to eliminate this volunteer department and have the Hernando County Fire Rescue assume the duties for this community.
This morning's edition of Hernando Today ran two articles about the High Point Volunteer Fire Department, one positive and one negative. By reading the information in the one article, I could only assume that the residents of High Point are ecstatic with the initial report by the state Fire Marshall that gave their department a passing grade. The other article tried to insinuate that the High Point Volunteers were using less than savory collection methods for their yearly fire dues. Commissioner Rowden was quoted as saying the volunteers were using extortion, and strong arm tactics, to force money out of the residents for fire dues. This was an interesting comment by Ms. Rowden. If you think about it, Hernando County does the same thing for delinquent fire dues listed on our non-Ad Valorem portion of property taxes. If someone does not pay their property taxes, the county can levy your property and sell it on the courthouse steps by auction. Historically speaking, who is next on the list for volunteer take over? Will it be Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department?
Why did we pay $100K for a consultant to supply a Hernando County Fire Master Plan, if premature decisions are going to take place to skew the results before it is completed by Karen Nicolai's committee?
1 comment:
HCFR will continue to seek a way to get themselves out of the financial nightmare that they created when they made the rash, unrealistic decision to grow too quickly and not implement a proper funding system. They are now in such a bind that they will stop at nothing to try and fix it. They will seek to take over Volunteers first then they will move on to the ultimate "cash cow" SHFR. They will try to steal away a service that the people of spring hill have had for 35 years. They will attempt to fix the problems they have thru whatever means it takes at the direction of Karen N. Look around, the only Fire dept that is broken is HCFR, all the rest are fine, no complaints , no money woes, only HCFR is in such desperate staits that they are trying to destroy the proper working departments to save thier own pathetic excuse for a system.
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