Opinion piece: this article reflects the opinion of the author.
When the siren sounds, volunteer firefighters drop everything, work, school, family dinners , and go. They’re the ones running toward emergencies while the rest of us wait for help to arrive.
That kind of dedication deserves respect, and real support. So when I learned that the fire department’s training budget was cut nearly in half, and the equipment budget reduced even beyond what the Town Manager recommended, I was stunned. These weren’t small adjustments. They were unnecessary cuts that put public safety at risk. They were above the recommendations of the town manager, and what was asked for by the department, knowing that it needs to maintain a properly trained department. .
Rocky Hill’s Fire Department has worked hard to rebuild its ranks after years of recruitment struggles. Many of the new members are young and still gaining experience. That makes training and proper equipment more important than ever. Cutting those resources doesn’t save money, it creates risk.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about common sense. You can’t expect firefighters to protect the community without giving them the tools and training to do it safely. Every dollar taken from those budgets increases the chance that something goes wrong, not just for the firefighters, but for the people they’re trying to save.
Volunteer firefighters already do so much with so little. They balance jobs, families, and their commitment to serve. They don’t ask for much, just what they need to do the job right and come home safely.
Our elected officials should be asking themselves one question: would they be comfortable knowing a loved one is heading into a fire or crash without the best possible training or gear? Because that’s what these cuts mean, a department trying to do more with less, when “less” could mean the difference between life and death.
We owe our first responders more than thank-yous and social media posts. We owe them investment, in training, in equipment, and in readiness. If the budget needs trimming, start somewhere else. Cut the nonessentials, not public safety.
As a father of a teenage firefighter, this isn’t abstract to me, it’s personal. When that siren sounds, I know my son will answer the call. And like every parent of a firefighter, I want him , and everyone he serves alongside, to have what they need to come home safe.
Our firefighters show up for us on our worst days, in the middle of our worst nights, without pause and without pay. The least we can do is show up for them. Proper training. Proper equipment. Proper investment. Anything less is gambling with lives, something no parent or community should ever accept.There’s no budget victory worth a firefighter’s life. Not my son’s. Not anyone’s. That’s why I’ll be voting for leadership that puts public safety first, funds our core services, and plans responsibly for Rocky Hill’s future. I’ll be voting for Allan Smith and the entire Row A slate to bring back a responsible majority that knows what truly matters.
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