Dowagiac Area Firefighters Speak Out Over Takeover

lets see where do i start....this merger plan all started back when the so called free ambulance service was brought into play. It is not just the city of dowagiac that is pushing this merger it is also the supervisors of KEELER TWP, and SILVER CREEK TWP. Keeler twp. say that they can not keep operating with out this merger because out of the $60,000.00 budget they have $40,000.00 goes for payroll even though they have not payed Sister lakes fire dept. any money for several years now, unless payment has been made recently, but they run a medical first responder unit that does not make it to the scene before the ambulance, is this not a waste of taxpayer monies? Silver Creek Twp. does not like the fact that they have no control of the Two departments in their twp. because they are independent fire depts. Now the Twps. are having meetings trying to figure out how they can control the monies these depts. get from the taxpayers that is why they want the me
rger. If the taxpayers don't wake up and smell the roses your fire servce will end up just like the so called free ambulance service. Do the taxpayer understand that most of time this free service calls for the local fire department to help with patient lift assist, this takes money away from the fire depts.budgets for wages, fuel, and wear and tear on equipment, ect. Do the taxpayer know the ambulance authority renegotiated the ambulance contract one year early without notifying the taxpayers? Taxpayers need to wake up and stop this before it is to late. For the iso rating Dowagiac can not be a 5 as they call it, you can not get that rating having only one person on station, this does not even meet the requirements of NFPA. Our vol. firemen are dedicated to the people of the twps. not the pay check at the end of the week. One last thing i would like to know when did the taxpayers start working for the twps? I thought the twp officials worked for the taxpayers who put them
in office. DO I HEAR RECALL!!!!! This needs to be STOPPED.