NOFD firefighters plead their case
It promised to be another hot, sweltering northwest Florida day, but firefighter Phillip Wheeler was already on duty this morning.
A member of the North Okaloosa Fire District, he and his fellow firefighters fanned out across the region to put a person face on NOFD’s bid for a millage increase to fund their operations.
“We need this vote,” explained Chief Ed Cutler yesterday as he picked up an armload of stake signs from Signs Galore.
“Of all the fire districts in the area, ours is the biggest bargain for taxpayers,” he said. “We’re cheaper than garbage,” he laughed, a humorous comparison emphasizing that taxpayers pay more for garbage pick-up than they do for their fire protection services.
NOFD provides more than just fire-fighting services, Chief Cutler reminded voters. “We’re trained first responders,” he said.
Among the men and women who serve in his department are also trained paramedics. Cutler’s crews are also trained in managing and coordinating responses to emergency situations of all types.
If today’s millage increase referendum fails, Cutler foresees serious troubles on the horizon.
“We’ll definitely lose a lot of skilled firefighters to other fire departments eager to hire them,” Cutler said. “Our guys want to know they have stability in their jobs, and I don’t blame them.”
