ESD6 (Part 12): UNDERFUNDED VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS BATTLING FIRES IN SOUTHERN BEXAR COUNTY
64
ESD6 MAKES VOLUNTEERS LIVES A MISERY
The volunteer fire departments in Emergency Service District #6 have continually been put under stress by the board president, Sylvia Ruiz Mendelsohn and the board as a whole. Most recently, last week, Ms. Mendelsohn and the attorney for the ESD#6 got into a shouting match with the South Bexar Fire and Rescue firefighters over the boards insistance on not making a payment on their fire truck. According to South Bexar, their contract stated that said payment would be made by the ESD as they had always done. According to Ms. Mendelsohn, as she has been doing since she took over the board, she had them on a wait and see system, refusing to pay unless she can lien the vehicle.
All this bickering and uncertainty while Texas has had little or no rain fall and the state has reached one of the highest alert levels for wildfire danger is non-productive when it comes to the safety of the community. Chief Farinacci of AtaBexar VFD arrived from her regular job just long enough to change her clothing and leave to fight a wildfire that had begun just minutes before. She was up til early morning fighting a fire, only to have her crew head out again several hours later for another fire.
The community of Southern Bexar County has been put at great risk with shortness of funds; today, just minutes ago, a fire destroyed six homes, 16 cars and several animals perished. While there was one individual believed to be missing, a blessing came when he was found.As the fire is now pretty much contained, it may be a short time before the community members can return to their homes. The volunteer fire fighters have once again done their job with very little rest and very little money to replace and or repair the equipment they used today. This community was lucky today, they might not be so lucky tomorrow.
As in other emergencies, the Southside ISD opened it's gymnasium at the 9th grade Academy for an evacuation shelter and sent it's counselors to aid those community members in need. Proving once again, that the ESD6 expense on a community/evacuation center is not a needed expense during a time of crisis. Had the entire area needed to be evacuated. The 1.3 million dollar structure could have barely handled 300 people.
 | Amazon Price: $749.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $29.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $11.85 List Price: $19.99 |
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome
- Beautiful
- Interesting (1)
CommentsLoading...
Yes ma'am it would. It is my understanding that the community members of the Crossland Fire are upset and may be at the meeting for the ESD6 this evening at 6pm. at their unmarked office on 1604 S. As for the County Commissioner of Precinct #1, Chico Rodriguez is out in full force with his signs in his neighborhood, which I happened to drive through yesterday. I was amazed at how many signs he had out there, but not many anywhere else.
I have found out there are several public servants' organization that are very much less than thrilled with Chico and are rallying against him for the 2012 elections. I'm tempted to contact them and start working with them to try to defeat this absolutely useless waste of air and space, ie. Chico! I think the VFDs would do well to align with these organizations as well. There is strength in numbers.
Mad as Hell 8 months ago
God help South Bexar County if we should experience a fire similar to Bastrop. Even at 1/2 the size it would completely devastate this area and ESD 6 would be overwhelmed with having to deny so much reimbursement to the fire stations! Please, Please Please, let's get back on the petition!!! Plus I think we should start a second petition to present to the County Commissioners asking for a recall and removal of every one of those bozos sitting on ESD 6. No, they probably won't remove anyone off of the board, but it is another media opportunity and it's another message sent to Chico that we are not going to sit idly by and ignore this situation. AND 2012 is coming up quicker than any of us realize. Please, God, let someone with some kind of sense run against Chico!!!!