It wasn’t that long ago, maybe 10 years?
I was so shocked when I learned that neighbors were VOLUNTEERING to answer 911 calls. Unreal. Eventually they were offered $20 or so for a 10 or 12 hour shift.
I just thought of that as I was thinking about the fire department and how much money is wasted.
And I’d really like to know what the Meadview fire fighters / EMTs do all day and all night.
I could see paying several people to keep the doors open during the day (split the shifts). But 24/7?
WHY?
And what is ONE guy going to do by himself if there is an emergency? How does he transport someone into the ambulance by himself? [Update 8/24/15: apparently there is no ambulance, so we don’t have to worry about that. We just wait an hour or two for the ambulance to get up here from who knows where.] How does he drive the fire truck and the water truck?
Fire departments in rural areas all over the world are staffed by volunteers. They don’t all sit at their fire stations, waiting for calls that never happen, but they have people on call. And the calls can be answered just like 911 calls in Meadview a few years ago — by volunteers in their homes.
Meadview should have at least 4 people on call, pay an hourly rate for time actually working and you could do that for LESS money than currently spent on only 1 person.
I’m not that worried about fires, but we could have a major car accident any time, with multiple injured people, maybe even trapped, and I can’t see how ONE person is going to handle that.
Hi Christine,
Just a little history. The volunteer dispatchers were happy to give their time to the community and Meadview Emergency Services. I know this because I worked with them. My goodness, they weren`t chained to a radio. This was a small town and we did the best we could with what we had. It wasn`t like Meadview was begrudging the dispatchers money. We just didn`t have it. Actually nobody got paid. EMS was available 24/7. The station at the time wasn`t staffed all night. Dispatch called EMT`s and firefighters on call and we responded to the station. We were available all day, every day, 365 days a year. And we had many busy days. .At one time there was an ambulance stationed at my house so I could run calls in Lake Mead City and have care started when the other EMT`s and firefighters arrived from Meadview. What most Meadview residents today don`t know is EMT training was sponsored by the local folks. My sponsors were Tom and Phylis Sanders who had a construction company here in town. Fundraisers were common. Of course it`s different now. Progress and Meadview is changing. Our EMT`s and firefighters must be paid.
Cathy, thanks for the info! You’ve been here a long time and Meadview certainly has changed.
I agree that EMTs and fire fighters should get paid, but with what?
It’s not going to happen unless the hourly wage is reduced to $1 or so.
WHY don’t we have sponsors and fundraisers anymore?
Because the morons on the fire board ran our district into bankruptcy?
Because the Meadview “leadership” (MCA and Chamber) doesn’t give a rat’s ass?
MOST Meadview property owners contribute absolutely NOTHING to the fire district because the properties are NOT IN THE FIRE DISTRICT — and that includes me and almost all my neighbors. There is NO WAY that I will JOIN the district as that’s like joining the MCA and the property will never come out of the district again. However, if I’m happy with the new board, I won’t mind SUBSCRIBING for a year at the fire district tax rate and if don’t like the board’s actions, they’re not going to get my money anymore.
I’ve been attending and video recording the meetings and I’m floored by administrator Flynn’s complete lack of interest in this issue. Has ANYONE received an invitation to subscribe to the district?
Last time I got a subscription offer was from fire chief Tom Little in 2008. Was he the last person to care?
Administrator Flynn completely ignores this issue. Having attended at least the four last meetings I have no clue how many calls are received, what type of calls, response times, etc. etc. etc. Flynn gets about $6,700/month and couldn’t possibly do LESS for the district.
Fire chief Moore has not even bothered to attend the last 3 meetings. What does HE get paid for?
Supervisor Bishop attends the meetings, but seems to find NOTHING wrong with any of that!
WTF?
We’ve been so busy, I’ve seriously neglected this site. I’m going to make an effort to post all the video and lots of info that residents ought to review prior to voting for the new board.