I found this story on firehouse.com, concerning career v volunteer fire department staffing in Lockport, NY - just outside of Buffalo.

While reading it, I immediately thought of the “maybe we will get a career fire department, or maybe we will stay volunteer, or maybe we will have both” situation in Millcreek Township.  I also thought of the union’s fights with the City of Erie during contract negotiations.  Here are some excerpts:

(Lockport Fire Chief) Passuite said that as far back as the 1980s, he envisioned regionalism, with a large fire district including the city and Town of Lockport and combining the city’s pros with the volunteers in the town.

That hasn’t happened, however, and isn’t even being discussed.

Sounds familiar.  I think the best statement in the article, is this one from the same guy:

Lockport Chief Passuite annually asks the Council to hire more firefighters, but the Council almost always turns that down.  “I don’t think I’d be in favor of changing it, but it’s a fire department,” he said, “and if it’s not adequately staffed and maintained, it becomes a liability, not an asset.

I think that is true whether it is paid or volunteer.

Read the whole article, and let me know what you think of how it applies to the Erie area and it’s fire service.