Priority should be to provide best fire service possible

To the Whitefish Fire Service Area board,

I am a homeowner in the Whitefish Fire Service Area and have been following with concern your scheme of dismantling the partnership between the Whitefish Fire Department and the Whitefish Fire Service Area. Your motives for this action seem to be based on the notion that the Whitefish Fire Department is proposing an unfair increase in the amount it charges the WFSA for fire protection.

Your top priority should be how to provide the best level of response and fire protection in the WFSA at a reasonable cost. This should form the basis of negotiation with the Whitefish Fire Department.

You are suggesting instead that the WFSA form a volunteer fire department of its own and end our area being protected by the Whitefish Fire Department. You are proposing this action yet lack a plan, a budget, a timeline, open negotiations with Whitefish, and only five people showing interest in being volunteer fire fighters with little concern other than potentially saving money. How will this improve the fire protection in our area?

Which entity will provide EMTs? What level of emergency services can you provide the 86-square-mile area with only one fire station? Why would you want to change a working partnership that provides quality and timely responses to the WFSA? I highly recommend that our fire protection stay with the Whitefish Department even if it means an increase in taxes to make it happen.

Carrie Bowman, Whitefish