Today there was a house fire in the City of Lumberton. I noticed the billowing clouds of smoke and after getting into my car, I saw the towering flames in the distance. One of my passengers encouraged me to drive closer but I did not want to add to the spectacle by crowding the scene with another car more spectators. As I continued in the opposite direction, it seemed that the firefighters were losing the battle but they seemingly fought a good fight. Aside from being a police officer, I think being a volunteer firefighter is at the top of the list as one of the most difficult jobs. There has been a lot of criticism of past and present volunteer fire departments. Some criticism was warranted but in the midst of attempting to save the home of another person, while putting your life on the line, none of that matters. Which brings me to the question, why is it so difficult to get individuals to volunteer for the Lumberton Volunteer Fire Department. There are those that have asked why I haven’t joined the fire department since I questioned their ability to put out a fire. I have responded on several occasions, that I had no desire to serve on the fire department but I would volunteer my time and services as a part of the fire department board. Apparently, my offer has yet to be accepted; which seems to be a one of the reasons why others are not serving as volunteers. The question at hand is not the lack of volunteers, but for some reason, the powers that be do not want certain individuals serving on the LVFD.
Today was a prime example of bad politics at work. I seriously doubt the homeowner would care who served on the old fire department. I am quite certain that they would be pleased with anyone that would respond in an attempt to save their home. For some reason, there are well qualified individuals that are being denied the right to volunteer their services and skills to assist the LVFD while the fire rating for the City of Lumberton continues to suffer. As a matter of fact, most of the individuals that are precluded from serving as volunteers on the LVFD were trained at the expense of taxpayers of the City of Lumberton. We covered the cost of their training or the training was covered by monies that were distributed from the City of Lumberton into the fire department’s account. Yet, after investing in the training and certification of certain individuals, they are now being denied the opportunity to serve. Why? Why would a city invest in training and then discard those that were trained? As much as I would like to blame Kent Crider for this under handed move to disallow trained individuals from serving on as volunteers on a volunteer fire department I can’t because to pull off a scheme of this magnitude exceeds his mental capacity. There’s no doubt in my mind that Crider is involved, but there’s also others involved and until the other alderman decide to demand answers, the citizens of Lumberton will continue to fall prey to petty politics when it comes to emergency medical calls and fire protection.
Earlier today, I was approached by several people that had concerns about the Lumberton Police Department. It seems there are some individuals that feel there’s not enough patrolling at night. He went on to say that a certain officer was targeting him for something but he was shocked that no officers patrolled during a party that was being thrown over the weekend. I asked if he called the police. He said yes but no one ever responded. I told him I would put it in the blog but advised the person that he should contact the chief and let her know that he called because she would have the names of the officers that were on duty. I also told him that if the chief did not address the matter, he should report the matter to the board. As usual, the person said they did not want to get involved because he was afraid of retaliation. I certainly understand his reasoning. As a matter of fact, I still resent the fact that I feel paranoid instead of protected whenever I see a Lumberton Police car. But that’s something I’m going to have to deal with. I have said it before, there are some good officers on the department but according to the street committee, the good officers don’t work nights and weekends. I guess it’s a scheduling issue.
In other news, it seems that there are some officers that will be moving onto the property of Frank Lee Homes. To some that may be good news and to others, that could mean trouble. One thing for certain, it should lead to a more peaceful summer. Hallelujah! Hopefully, the addition of police on the property will lead to a more enjoyable environment. With officers on the property, there will no longer be any excuse for not removing those that are on the banned list and those that are continually disruptive. However, MRHA will need to be more proactive in their efforts to curtail the chaos that continually take place on their properties. For far too long, they have used the head in the sand approach when it comes to creating a peaceful environment. I still wonder why a corporation would invest millions in renovations and not install security cameras to protect their investments. I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out and if this will put an end to the 2014 fight season that’s usually held on Myrick Avenue. Now that the manager is taking steps to involve police officers; it’s time for the managers to stop looking the other way when it comes to unauthorized tenants. If you’re going to police one area, then all areas of non compliance needs to be addressed. Everybody knows that the ones bringing most chaos to the property are either those that don’t live there or those that are living on the property without being on the lease. I guess this is the year of a turn around. Unfortunately, we’re still stuck with those that were elected by those that bothered to show up to the polls; nothing will change that unless they either resign or move. There are those that say Lumberton will be better if I stopped stirring the pot. Well, I am stirring the pot in an effort to usher in a better Lumberton. We can agree to disagree but I am not changing until I see a positive change in Lumberton. Petty politics has damaged this city and it is up to the citizens to demand better. The mayor and board of alderpersons will meet, Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 6:00 P.M.
Today there was a house fire in the City of Lumberton. I noticed the billowing clouds of smoke and after getting into my car, I saw the towering flames in the distance. One of my passengers encouraged me to drive closer but I did not want to add to the spectacle by crowding the scene with another car more spectators. As I continued in the opposite direction, it seemed that the firefighters were losing the battle but they seemingly fought a good fight. Aside from being a police officer, I think being a volunteer firefighter is at the top of the list as one of the most difficult jobs. There has been a lot of criticism of past and present volunteer fire departments. Some criticism was warranted but in the midst of attempting to save the home of another person, while putting your life on the line, none of that matters. Which brings me to the question, why is it so difficult to get individuals to volunteer for the Lumberton Volunteer Fire Department. There are those that have asked why I haven’t joined the fire department since I questioned their ability to put out a fire. I have responded on several occasions, that I had no desire to serve on the fire department but I would volunteer my time and services as a part of the fire department board. Apparently, my offer has yet to be accepted; which seems to be a one of the reasons why others are not serving as volunteers. The question at hand is not the lack of volunteers, but for some reason, the powers that be do not want certain individuals serving on the LVFD.
Today was a prime example of bad politics at work. I seriously doubt the homeowner would care who served on the old fire department. I am quite certain that they would be pleased with anyone that would respond in an attempt to save their home. For some reason, there are well qualified individuals that are being denied the right to volunteer their services and skills to assist the LVFD while the fire rating for the City of Lumberton continues to suffer. As a matter of fact, most of the individuals that are precluded from serving as volunteers on the LVFD were trained at the expense of taxpayers of the City of Lumberton. We covered the cost of their training or the training was covered by monies that were distributed from the City of Lumberton into the fire department’s account. Yet, after investing in the training and certification of certain individuals, they are now being denied the opportunity to serve. Why? Why would a city invest in training and then discard those that were trained? As much as I would like to blame Kent Crider for this under handed move to disallow trained individuals from serving on as volunteers on a volunteer fire department I can’t because to pull off a scheme of this magnitude exceeds his mental capacity. There’s no doubt in my mind that Crider is involved, but there’s also others involved and until the other alderman decide to demand answers, the citizens of Lumberton will continue to fall prey to petty politics when it comes to emergency medical calls and fire protection.
Earlier today, I was approached by several people that had concerns about the Lumberton Police Department. It seems there are some individuals that feel there’s not enough patrolling at night. He went on to say that a certain officer was targeting him for something but he was shocked that no officers patrolled during a party that was being thrown over the weekend. I asked if he called the police. He said yes but no one ever responded. I told him I would put it in the blog but advised the person that he should contact the chief and let her know that he called because she would have the names of the officers that were on duty. I also told him that if the chief did not address the matter, he should report the matter to the board. As usual, the person said they did not want to get involved because he was afraid of retaliation. I certainly understand his reasoning. As a matter of fact, I still resent the fact that I feel paranoid instead of protected whenever I see a Lumberton Police car. But that’s something I’m going to have to deal with. I have said it before, there are some good officers on the department but according to the street committee, the good officers don’t work nights and weekends. I guess it’s a scheduling issue.
In other news, it seems that there are some officers that will be moving onto the property of Frank Lee Homes. To some that may be good news and to others, that could mean trouble. One thing for certain, it should lead to a more peaceful summer. Hallelujah! Hopefully, the addition of police on the property will lead to a more enjoyable environment. With officers on the property, there will no longer be any excuse for not removing those that are on the banned list and those that are continually disruptive. However, MRHA will need to be more proactive in their efforts to curtail the chaos that continually take place on their properties. For far too long, they have used the head in the sand approach when it comes to creating a peaceful environment. I still wonder why a corporation would invest millions in renovations and not install security cameras to protect their investments. I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out and if this will put an end to the 2014 fight season that’s usually held on Myrick Avenue. Now that the manager is taking steps to involve police officers; it’s time for the managers to stop looking the other way when it comes to unauthorized tenants. If you’re going to police one area, then all areas of non compliance needs to be addressed. Everybody knows that the ones bringing most chaos to the property are either those that don’t live there or those that are living on the property without being on the lease. I guess this is the year of a turn around. Unfortunately, we’re still stuck with those that were elected by those that bothered to show up to the polls; nothing will change that unless they either resign or move. There are those that say Lumberton will be better if I stopped stirring the pot. Well, I am stirring the pot in an effort to usher in a better Lumberton. We can agree to disagree but I am not changing until I see a positive change in Lumberton. Petty politics has damaged this city and it is up to the citizens to demand better. The mayor and board of alderpersons will meet, Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 6:00 P.M.
I would still be more than glad to volunteer, and could bring a few qualified people with me. I might not be in the the best shape to fight fire, but i could be incident commander, pump the truck, and run medical calls, and teach.. All i need is the opportunity. I have already submitted 3 applications with the new fire department.
ReplyDeleteToday was told that the fire was a controlled burn not a housefire.
ReplyDeleteI have also put my application in twice with the promise of being able to return to my passing which is firefighter and medical first responder. I have no been contacted.
ReplyDelete