The People Demand It!

Firefighter Mike Zaccheo of the Belle Valley Fire Department has created a website about all of Erie County’s fire departments.  At eriepafire.com, you can check out pictures and information about your local fire department, as well as links to individual department websites.  So go check it out!

One of the nice things about being in Erie is that I get Erie’s news real time.

And in the Erie Times-News of Friday was a story about Emergycare shutting down their operations in Meadville. Emergycare started their operation in Meadville when they bought out Eastern Ambulance Service. At that time, there were three EMS services in Meadville, each rotating days as the main 911 response service. The third service eventually shut down as well, leaving Emergycare and Meadville Area Ambulance Service as the two main providers - that is, until September 28th, when ECI shuts their station down.

According to Emergycare Chief Executive Richard Gibbons

As EMS systems continue to tighten their belts with reimbursements and costs going the way they are, you have to make a decision,” he said. “We felt that in the best interest of the community, when there are two providers, that one should exit the market so the existing one can become as strong as it can be.”

That begs the next question…if it is good for Meadville, why isn’t it good for Millcreek?

Emergycare also operates a station in Millcreek on Peninsula Drive. They opened that station in 1999, when Millcreek Paramedic Service started 911 operations. MPS, owned by the five volunteer fire departments of Millcreek, continued the service that was always provided by those fire departments: EMS transport. Emergycare, prior to MPS, provided the volunteer departments with paramedics who provided Advanced Life Support Services. When the fire departments decided to upgrade their own system, Emergycare decided to go into competition.

But if you live in Millcreek, you can’t get Emergycare on the 911 system. MPS is the Township’s designated EMS service. There have been arguments that there should be “EMS choice”. EMS choice? Never heard of it. So Emergycare told people to call their seven-digit number to get them for an emergency.

Currently, MPS operates three ambulances during the day, and two at night, and an EMS supervisor on at all times. I have been told by the Director of the Millcreek Paramedic Service that he could put a fourth ambulance on during the day, with three at night, if Emergycare shut down its Millcreek operation.

So what is the answer to the question? I think that is obvious.

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Full Disclosure: I used to be an firefighter in Millcreek and an employee of Millcreek Paramedic Service from 1999-2005.

I started the Fourth at the Millcreek Fourth of July Parade. I went with my sister and my 2 1/2 year-old nephew, who loved the firetrucks and the music! Millcreek puts on a great parade, and we enjoyed every minute of it…even though I was up late on the phone the night before and didn’t get much sleep!

Later on, I went to my friend Chris’ for a shindig. We ended up playing some Boccie with some of Chris’ Italian relatives, and as you can see below, it ended up getting serious with measurements and all! Later on, it was back out onto the bay to watch “Boom Over the Bay”.

It was pretty darn chilly out on the bay, especially for a guy who lives in warmer climes these days. Also, I liked the strong law-enforcement presence out on the water. Special thanks to the crews from the Erie Station of the U.S. Coast Guard - they were out there working hard on a day most of us got to spend with our families!

I took a trip to the Peninsula on Thursday, and ran about five miles. It was nice out, and there was a pretty nice breeze.

Although Presque Isle was scenic, the drive there was not. Maybe it’s just me, and this is my opionion so don’t hold it against me, but Erie looks worse than it ever has. I don’t say this to upset anyone, but since it’s been seven months since the last time I’ve been here, it just looks rough. Erie has always been a rough, blue-collar town, I know. But, driving through some of the major intersections I’m blown away at the empty buildings and filth.

At Pine Avenue and East 38th Street is still the big empty lot that used to be a grocery store. There are chunks of concrete and asphalt all over the place. Then there is the intersection of West 38th and Liberty. Empty buildings, the curbs are falling apart, and the filth built up on the side of the street is appalling. Doesn’t the city operate a street-sweeper? Do they know where the corner of 38th and Liberty is?

At the city line with Millcreek, at West 12th and Pittsburgh Avenue, is mini-ghost town. The empty Eckerd’s Drug Store that was featured in that now infamous New York Times story. Across the street the empty Value City complex just looms.

Now I can’t be too negative, there are signs of life. There is a lot of work going on downtown. I really liked some of the new buildings on Parade Street. But is the new growth and development catching up with the decay? I’m not so sure.

I’m not posting this to be negative about Erie, or anyone in it. I want to provoke discussion on what it is going to take to bring Erie around. If you were a company looking to start a new operation in Erie, and you drove around town, what would you see? I beg you to ask this question. I beg Erie’s politicians to ask this question. However, government will only do so much - it is up to the residents to hold their feet to the fire.

Yesterday afternoon, my buddy Mike Zaccheo took me out on his boat. We floated around the Bay, and Lake Erie. By chance, we even got to see the Niagara on it’s way back into the harbor. The weather was in the 80s, and there was a stiff breeze with some 3 foot waves, making the excursion pretty fun. Well, fun for me and Mike - but not Vito!

My friend Pat, who just got hired from the same fire department I work for was in Richmond, so he rode back up with me to Erie.  We had a long trip, but it was good.  We made a stop at the Flight 93 National Memorial.  The Memorial is literally in the middle of nowhere, and if we hadn’t had Pat’s GPS unit we never would have found it.  Here are the pics:

Well, on Tuesday (or at least Wednesday) I will be hitting the road for my only Erie trip of the Year. I plan on taking a lot of photos for all of you. I’ll be going out on the lake, checking out the Cherry and Greek festivals, and enjoying Independence Day.

I’m going to blog the trip, so sit back and enjoy the ride-along!

There are a lot of Erie-ites in the Richmond metro area.  In fact, two friends of mine from Erie are moving down here next month after taking jobs here.  I know of at least half a dozen people that work for a local police agency that are from Erie, and run into people all the time.

So I figure it is time for Erie in Richmond.

Why not build the success that Erie in New York has had?

If you are in the Richmond area, and are from Erie, just send me an email with your contact info to my email 

It seems there has been several skydiving and/or hang gliding incidents in the Erie area in the last few days. Most interesting is this story of a hang glider who apparently could not land due to high winds. Someone called 911 to report that this guy was not able to land. Ok, a few questions. 1) Who called 911 to report it? 2) What were the authorities going to do for a guy flying around on a hang glider? Shoot him down? He eventually landed in Clymer, NY - of all places.

I’m pretty sure humans weren’t made to fly!

Just some random Sunday thoughts for you.

Channel 12 has a story dated June 5, about Millcreek Township possibly hiring full-time firefighters.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

The township’s five volunteer fire departments (Belle Valley, Kearsarge, West Lake, West Ridge, and Lake Shore) have been discussing different possibilities for years. And the township itself brought in consultants who released this report in 2006, calling for extensive changes as to how Millcreek’s Fire Service does business.

This year’s township budget included $300,000 for “volunteer incentives”, such as paying volunteers per call, subsidized insurance, etc - things that would not have worked in the long run anyway. Nothing has been done with that money, and now the Millcreek Fire Chiefs want paid staff - and according to this story and accompanying video, that could happen.

My theory is, however, that even if they do hire staff, it will be done half-assed (only because I was personally involved in Millcreek’s public safety for ten years,and I know how they do things!) Who is going to be these firefighter’s supervisors? The volunteer fire chiefs? The township supervisor in charge of public safety? The township will have to hire a paid fire chief - that is the only solution.

Let’s do the math.

A firefighter’s salary would be anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000 a year. Let’s go with $30,000 and split the difference. Divide that $300,000 by $30,000 and you get: ten. Ten firefighters. If one of those is the Chief you only really have nine, and besides you would have to pay the Chief more than 30 grand to get anyone halfway decent (don’t worry, there will be plenty of volunteer chiefs drooling at the chance to become Millcreek’s first paid fire chief) That leaves enough money for eight firefighters. Now, we haven’t even included benefits into this equation. So, we could probably cut that number down to six if we do that.

Larry Curtis is on to something in the video story, he stated $800 and some-odd-thousand-dollars a year to provide this paid service, and maybe even more than that. I’m going with the “more than that” scenario. Each of these departments owns their own apparatus and stations, the township doesn’t own any of it. Will the township assume control over this infrastructure? I would hope so. So not only are they going to have to plan for salaries and benefits, but apparatus replacement and maintenance as well. Oh, and don’t forget station maintenance and all the associated bills that come with owning more properties.

Maybe the township could sell of some of the fire apparatus anyway, since Millcreek has way more fire trucks than they need to begin with? They could make a few bucks I’m sure.

Hiring paid firefighters will be a nightmare. But, it needs to be done. It needed to be done a long time ago.

Also see this tread on TheWatchDesk.com