By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A recent equipment purchase within the Whitewater Fire Department sparked a widespread discussion of how the agency is covering its costs.
The purchase of a new ambulance, one of four vehicles in the department’s fleet, was expected and approved Jan. 17 with a favorable vote from the Common Council. But questions of the department’s revenue sources permeated the discussion.
The department was restructured last year as an incorporated entity, and some of its functions — including budget management — are now run through city hall.
During deliberations, the council heartily agreed its oldest ambulance, which was beyond its useful life with more than 116,000 logged miles, was in need of replacement.
“(The fire trucks and ambulances) get a lot of mileage in the thousands of calls that come in each year,” City Manager Cameron Clapper said. “It’s one of the vehicles we want to make sure is maintained and operational at all times.”
To that end, officials gave the green light to proceed with a hybrid spending plan that calls for pulling funds from a dedicated city budget and funding the balance through borrowing. The price tag for the new ambulance and accompanying accessories, based on the council’s motion, is $286,044.
In a big picture sense, several council members, including Lynn Binnie, wondered aloud if the city is being saddled with an inequitable amount of the fire department’s costs.
The fire department has a long history, predating last year’s reorganization, of providing service to many of the townships surrounding the city. Each of the neighboring municipalities pays the department for the service.
“I really question that the townships are paying their fare share,” Binnie said.
Assistant Fire Chief Tom Weidert, who joined the department a year ago, agreed a closer look into the arrangement might be warranted in the road ahead.
“I totally agree that we have to take a big look at what the townships are paying us,” Weidert said. “This business is very, very expensive.”
