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Hernando Today

Vote 'Yes' To Keep SHFR Independent

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 29, 2008

RE:" ISO Rating More Than Meets The Eye, Fire Boss Says," in the July 25 edition of Hernando Today.

I hope the citizens of Spring Hill and the county as a whole can come to realize that this particular issue has very little to do with ISO's, MSTU's, MSBU's and all the other garbled and subjective banter that is being tossed around. My brothers and sisters with Hernando County Fire Rescue do an outstanding job of serving the citizens and residents they protect. Regardless of ratings and statistics, we are all public servants charged with the same task - protecting life and property. The question before the voters of Spring Hill in November is a very simple one: A "yes" vote means you maintain local control with citizens elected by you to run the financial affairs of your fire service. This coupled with stringent state oversight will lead to a more tightly run organization than ever before with increased accountability to the taxpayers.

A "no" vote means that Hernando County will take control of your district. This vote is not like the previous two votes in that a "no" vote before only meant that the status quo would be kept and that nothing would change. Obviously, the results of the previous votes were indeed "no," which tells us that the voters were happy with what they were getting and are still getting to this very day.

This time around is vastly different in that a "no" vote means no more status quo. You lose your district, you lose local control, you lose what you have built, what you have paid for and what is rightfully yours. County officials have already publicly stated that it is their intention to systematically dissolve your district and combine it into a large countywide system. This could require the most lucrative tax base in the county, Spring Hill, to subsidize and supplement the rest of the county. Truth be told, Hernando County Fire Rescue does not need Spring Hill to continue their noble mission of building up their fire rescue system. In a very short time they have made great strides and, through proper funding and support, they can continue to address the needs of the area just as Spring Hill will continue to assess and address its own immediate and future needs.

Administrations are working hard to strengthen the cooperation between the two departments as well as with other services within the county. Distinct and separate fire departments exist and thrive all over Florida and across the country. "Economy of scale" is not always the best answer, especially when it comes to public safety where cutting corners means lives lost and property destroyed.

Let's not cloud this important issue with petty arguments about who has the shiniest firetrucks or the most hydrants. This is about choice, and allowing the citizens of Spring Hill to keep what they so wisely built so many years ago - a fire rescue system that has stood the test of time, has consistently kept up with the needs of an extremely fast-growing community and that has maintained a sparkling record of performance and accountability to the taxpayers of Spring Hill.

The normal handful of opposing views will surely follow, but I would challenge them to keep to the question: "Yes," to keep your service with local control and state oversight; or "no," to turn control over to the county and eventually lose control over everything your tax dollars have built over the years. Our organization desires only what is best for the citizens we serve, and we hope that you will value the current service as something you want to keep.

Troy Hagar

president

Spring Hill Firefighters

Local 2794

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