Letter to the Editor: Firefighters' thoughts on emergency services

Editor:

It is after much consideration and thought by Havre Firefighters Local 601 that we have decided to release this statement in regards to the discussion about outsourcing our jobs.

As we're sure many of you can imagine we have been bombarded with questions and concerns from people asking about the validity of the topic. We felt that it would be best to address this topic all at once to inform everyone of the facts and alleviate any rumors

It is our sincere hope that from this point forward things can be handled discreetly and out of the media.

It is widely accepted that "fire-based" EMS systems are the model of efficiency, accepted by firefighters, fire chiefs and public policy makers that have the interest of the citizens at heart.

Beyond that, job satisfaction among firefighters is higher than "stand-alone" EMS personnel due to the nature of their duties, wage and benefits packages. The information was not investigated in regards to the Miles City scenario and is completely misleading as Miles City and Havre both currently have a "fire-based" EMS system.

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 601, the Havre firefighters strive to deliver the best service possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and continue to train ourselves and become educated for the safety and well-being of our entire community. We are grateful for the overwhelming concern and support. Thank you.

International Association of Fire FIghters Local 601

Havre