Put public safety first
To the editor:
Firefighters are necessary to any city that longs for growth and safety for their citizens.Seventeen Fort Myers firefighters were laid off Wednesday Sept. 23, and still, almost three months later, we have not seen anything from the city council to change that.
City of Fort Myers firefighters respond to almost 18,000 alarms/responses annually; this is roughly 50 calls per day. After the cuts, they are forced to work with only three firefighters in most of the shifts. That dramatically increases the work load, slows down the response time in each call and increases the amount of time it takes to put the fire out. NFPA 1710, the guidelines of firefighting, states that a first-arriving company must consist of four firefighters, so the city is not only endangering our citizens but also could be breaking the law.
I’m a 16-year-old high school student that, as a future firefighter, is concerned about my future. Not because I might not get a job, but because I want my house and family to be safe. The city council should think about their decision and consider rehiring our heroes. Maybe think about their citizens and also the firefighters that put their lives on the line for them.
Guilherme Alves Pereira
Cape Coral