It's time for 24/7 services

Since you elected me mayor, there have been and will continue to be many issues to deal with. As you know, many have differing points of view and opinions. In many cases, there are controversial processes and outcomes. All of these problems, we will work through. However, there is one issue that has come to my attention that we cannot ignore and we cannot continue the way we have in the past; nor should this item be a candidate for controversy.

The issue I refer to is our fire and ambulance service. We operate today with a fully-funded day shift and an on-call night shift. The same folks that work today will be called out during the night tonight for any and all emergencies (for as long as it takes) and return to work at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning for the next shift.

This system worked fine when there was very little activity at night. We now average more than three calls per night. We cannot expect our people to continue this schedule. The time has come to expand our emergency service to a 24/7 department with the addition of a full-time night shift.

It has been nearly 40 years since the community of Whitefish has been asked to support any facet of our fire and ambulance service, and we want your approval for this expansion of service.

We cannot by law use tax increment funds or other fees for salaries. The money must come from the general fund. I am asking that you support the special levy request to add emergency services staff and fully fund a 24/7 fire and ambulance department. It's a concept whose time has come.

The department's response time during the day shift averages three minutes. During the night, when we rely on call-outs for coverage, that response time goes to 10 to 15 minutes on average. The number of calls each year continues to climb.

One of the most asked questions has been, what has happened to our volunteers? Actually, several things have changed. Our society has changed to be less accommodating to volunteerism; with two people often working in each household, there's less time for volunteering. It's down nationwide. Employers cannot afford to have people walking off the job to respond when needed or up all night then coming to work.

Probably the biggest deterrent, however, is the extensive training required. Three years training is required to become an effective volunteer, as well as 58 hours of annual ongoing training to maintain the position. The days when anyone who can hold a hose can be a volunteer are gone.

Another question often asked is, does the rural district get to vote? This levy will support the city's share of the cost. The rural fire district also will contribute via their negotiated contract with Whitefish to provide service to the outlying area.

I said before, the time has come for a full-time emergency services, fire and ambulance. Whitefish has always taken pride in our fire and ambulance service, going back to when there were 30 or 40 volunteers and a waiting list.

There are still volunteers today. You should get to know the people in the department. I assure you they are still one of the highest-quality departments in the state of Montana.

Help us keep it that way. Vote yes for the special levy being mailed on July 25. Help them help you.

Mike Jenson is the mayor of Whitefish.