<a href="mailto:jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com">By JOE LOTEMPLIO</a>
Staff Writer
May 07, 2008 03:35 pm
—
PLATTSBURGH — Operations of one of the oldest volunteer firefighting departments in Clinton County will be extinguished.
Rescue Hose Five will cease operations at the end of this year in a cost-cutting measure.
Their duties will be absorbed by the Mooers Fire Department in the northern part of the county and by the South Plattsburgh Fire Department in the south.
“There is no question that it is sad to see an end of an era like this,” Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day, said.
“But at the end of the day, there will be some benefits. The same air service will still be provided, which none of us can live without, and there will be some cost savings.”
Rescue Hose has operated as a city volunteer company since 1895. Their main duties are to provide air-packs at fires.
The city has borne the bulk of the $45,000 yearly cost to run the department, which is housed in a building on the oval of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
Each of the 21 departments outside the city paid about $700 per year toward the cost of running the “hosers,” mostly for insurance.
The rest of the Rescue Hose budget (about $30,000) was paid by the city.
Recent budget woes in the city forced officials to examine ways of saving money. Another issue was Rescue Hose’s dwindling numbers.
Day said there are only 11 active members in the squad, and it was not unusual for only two to show up at some fire calls.
City Fire Chief Paul Williams said that with 85 percent of Rescue Hose calls being outside the city, it is only fair that the other departments help pay more.
A Clinton County Fire Advisory Board committee offered three options.
One option was to disband Rescue Hose completely and have each department provide its own air supply.
But that would be too costly, Day said, and would create a duplication of services.
An air compressor costs up to $35,000 with about $1,500 annual service costs.
“The fire service of this county would not be making sound financial investment with taxpayer dollars,” Day said.
Another option was to leave Rescue Hose operating as it is with each department in the county, including the city, paying equally.
While that would have benefitted the city financially, it would have meant a 65-percent increase in costs for other departments.
The third option was to have Mooers and South Plattsburgh absorb Rescue Hose’s duties.
Day explained that the costly insurance premiums would go away because each department already has insurance.
Overhead costs for housing Rescue Hose would also be eliminated.
“We would not have to pay for a building, an office, heat, electricity... all those costs would go away,” Day said.
One of the Rescue Hose trucks will go to the Mooers station and the other to the South Plattsburgh station.
The hosers’ equipment will also be shared by the two departments as well as the city Fire Department.
County fire department representatives opted unanimously to have Mooers and South Plattsburgh take over the duties.
Day said the Rescue Hose members will be invited to join other volunteer departments.
“Most of them live in the South Plattsburgh area so they can join them if they want and we would welcome that,” Day said.
Another change will be that Mooers and South Plattsburgh will not respond with air packs unless called by the commanding chief at a fire.
Rescue Hose automatically responds to all structure fires within the county.
Day said this change will reduce the number of times the hosers are canceled en route to a fire, saving on volunteer time, equipment wear and tear, and fuel bills.
City of Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasprzak said there are no firm plans yet for what the city will do with the Rescue Hose building.
“We may store some emergency-services vehicles there or we may sell it and get it back on the tax rolls,” Kasprzak said.
“Rescue Hose has been a great partner with the city for many years but, because of certain factors, I think this is the right decision for all involved.”
E-mail Joe LoTemplio at:
jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com
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