Thursday, March 05, 2009
MULLICA TWP EMS
Hello,
I have a question for Mullica Twp residents, why is the Twp paying for repairs/refurbishing to Elwood Fire Company equipment when the other fire companies in the Twp paid for those items out of their budget money? Also, the in the Budget meeting it was decided to put aside money to refurbishing an ambulance and now the Twp’s ambulance are going to be auctioned off?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
49 comments:
did you ever think that maybe Elwood needs alittle more moeny to fix there equipment? they are the busiest company so their equipment gets used alot more often and need more repair then others. why do you people always have to try and talk down your volunteers? you act like they do something wrong..no appriciation at all..and if the other companies asked for help..they would get it as well
Elwood Fire Company should be able to repair and maintain their equipment the same way the other fire companies do. I am grateful to the volunteers but they have a responsibility to work within a budget. I see the other Fire Companies making the repairs to their equipment without a problem. I am sure that there any many people in this Townhsip who send in a donation and who should not have to have a tax increase because Elwood Fire Company can not work within a budget.
I thought the township was going to let the old rescue squad put a proposal into the town with the rest of the interested squads from other areas.
I would think that we would keep the ambulances at least until one of the proposals were accepted.
I think the rescue truck that needs repairs travels with the fire dept.and has the jaws of life.
If Elwood is the busiest company, then they shoud be given a bigger budget to work with. I'm sure if any of the dept.'s needed something above they're normal operating costs that they would have to ask the town for help.
Does Elwood Fire Company call numbers include the calls to fill up pools in the summer? Elwood Fire Company also goes out of Twp are calls, are they included? Is it really necessary for Elwood Fire Company to go? The Twp should review Elwood Operating Budget and then make the determination if additional money is need for repairs to the equipment.
Didn't these rescue squad people QUIT?????? GET OVER IT PEOPLE, GET A LIFE.
Enjoy paying $50,000 a year for Hammonton when YOU could have been paying $16,000 a year for the volunteers. All that the EMS folks asked for was a building with running water - like the Lauer School. Now who needs to get a life.
Nobody wants to touch the Lauer School because of all the work that would have to be done there.
If you add up the gas,insurance,a new building and replacement ambulances that the town would have to buy,it seems that $50,000 a year would be cheaper in the long run.
I thought the fire companies elected one chief. Why do they need separate budgets? Maybe we should be considering having one fire company with 4 locations instead of 4 fire companies fighting for a piece of the budget.
Listen people, this is one town.
It would be nice if all the fire depts. here worked together and not as separate entities.
Some vehicles are older than others and have to be repaired. I'd rather see the money go to fix our fire equipment then buy the police chief the new 4x4 he wants.
If the trees around your house start burning, you'll be praying for every fireman to come with working vehicles and equipment.
If the major concern here is money why doesnt the Mayor try to get get more grants started and find out if the stimulus package can help. I saw in the Press(Friday) that many Atlantic County towns will get pretty hefty funds for their police depts from the stimulus package but again not Mullica. Why arent we getting some funds here to help keep the taxes down and the police dept funded?Guess our taxes are going to go up again big time but thats more homes to sell isnt it?
The Mayor has already brought the stimulus and grant question matters to the CFO (grant coordinator). Please direct your questions on what Mullica does and does not qualify for to the CFO's attention.(asking here will not get you answers) On another note, It would be nice if all the fire and rescue volunteers could get along.
RE: Why Mullica doesn't get police grants
Maybe because Mullica has very little crime to contend with. Or maybe because those granting stimulus funds for additional police patrols had determined that Mullica already has enough police.
My guess is that the grant money would not lower anyone's property taxes. Its for additional policing, which Mullica doesn't need.
Franklin drew a line in the sand and the waves washed it away.
To the 7:52 AM Poster regarding getting answers here; looks like you gave an answer to a question someone asked, so I guess you do get answers here.
RE: The 7:42 poster
So I guess that when a resident asks the mayor about grant money, she can step down from the podium and put the CFO in her place to answer any questions.
It is true that Mullica has too many fire companies. Some of this money could have been put to better use to building a rescue squad. This will never happen due to political pressure. There are more firemen who vote than first aid voters in the community.
I remember an article in the Press not too long ago about the Absecon Fire Dept. getting a lot of money from a Homeland Security Grant. Money is given to volunteer fire dept.s' for equipment, retraining and training new people,etc.
I think it said that there was about $184 million to be given away. I just don't know why Mullica doesn't try or qualify for such grants.
I know that Sweetwater Fire Company and EMS applied for grant money. Those grants were denied. I also know that 3 out of the 4 fire companies chief get together for meetings and those companies submit a financial report to Chief Franklin at the end of the year. If a fire company would like the Twp to pay for something, should they have to show 1) That they have a budget 2) How come they can not afford it? These are tough times for all of us, we all need to work together to. Also, how is that the CFO of Mullica Twp has the ability to pay out up to $20,000 without Twp committee approval, is that a large amount of money for a small Twp.
11:34 AM Anonymous Person
Actually, several Mullica fire companies got significant Federal grant money several years ago, including $58,000 for new equipment for Elwood that then Mayor Chasey kept secret for some reason. I don't know if the money was tied to Homeland Security though. That type of grant money has since been directed to more serious terrorist risks.
In the Region section of today's Press under Pleasantville, you can read that their Fire Dept. got $189,000 for new protective gear and breathing apparatuses. This is the third grant that they received.
This came from the Federal Government.
Maybe somebody in the Fire.Dept. should ask how to apply for these grants.
Both the Sweetwater and Elwood FDPs previously received similar grants for this kind of equipment. The Sweetwater grant was announced in the Press at the time. The Elwood grant announcement was suppressed from the public for political reasons.
There currently seems to be some implicit political pressure on the fire companies in Mullica not to apply for their own individual grants.
WRGG
The township owns the firetrucks, not the fire companies in this town. There for the township should be resposible for repairs tht are out of the companies budgets. Who would pay for the repairs to a police car or township dumptruck?
If both Sweetwater and Elwood received grants in the past,why can't they try to apply now?
Why was Elwood's grant not made public?????
3:18pm, you said that Chasey Chasey kept it a secret? If the grant would have made her look good it would have been announced everywhere. That leads me to believe that she didn't want the credit to go to the person that helped get the grant.
Do you happen to know who wrote up and applied for grant for Elwood?
7;36 pm, could you explain to me what "WRGG" means? I must be out of the loop.
Also, 7:25 pm, why would there be political pressure NOT to apply for grants? Hundreds of thousands of dollars coming into the town should be a big political boost.
Thanks for posting all these comments because I learned some things including the post that Elwood got grants but they were discouraged / suppressed from doing more . The 742 post was also interesting that while the Mayor discussed grants with Ms Stollenwerk it doesnt seem any were moved forward to at least try to get some of the money we're all spending /funding for all these grants and stimulus package.It obvious that the other towns getting money have more competent and caring Mayors. I never would have learned this elsewhere. Thanks again.
Unfortunately in Mullica and for too long, too many decisions have been based on political and personal considerations and not doing what is right or in the best interest of the taxpayers and the community. That is the real issue here.
From Larry's archives:
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
ELWOOD FIRE COMPANY GETS HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT
The Elwood Fire Company recently received a $59,000 Homeland Security grant and the money has been spent for pagers and turn out gear for better communication in the case of an emergency and better protection for those important first responders who make the bulk of the emergency calls here in Mullica. The Elwood Fire Company recently acknowledged on the bulletin board in front of their Fire House the assistance they received in applying for this grant by Mary Hunt.
Also from Larry's archives:
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Subject: Question: Larry, do Mullica or fire cos. apply for grants? Sweetwater Resident
RESPONSE: ...
Because the Fire Companies are incorporated as separate entities their grants do not flow through Mullica's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). gary THE MUKTAR franklyn has successfully submitted grant applications for Mullica's fire companies for a number of grants.
So the 8:57 archive post proves that Elwood did get a grant of $59,000.
It was acknowledged by a post on the bulletin board in the firehouse???????
How much money did this town lose over the years because of the stupidity and vindictiveness of Chasey and Forman????
It is outrageous that our community has to suffer because these two try to suppress ideas from educated, intelligent citizens in this town.
Maybe if Chasey and Forman put the citizens ahead of their insecurities and jealousy, we might have been able to get a grant for the rescue squad if Mary Hunt was asked for assistance.
Since they don't know how to get the money, it might be worth hiring a professional grant writer to come in and help our firemen procure these funds.
RE 9:22 am
If Gary Franklin is in charge of applications,then why did Elwood need Mary Hunt's help to get the $59,000 and then it was kept a secret?
It's starting to look like this whole problem is putting the spotlight right on Gary Franklin once more.
Forman,Chasey and Kennedy appointed him as "Chief of Chiefs" AGAIN. WHY? Political cronies often overlook incompetence and lack of ethics to the detriment of the community.
This happens over and over again in Mullica. Just look at the Jan. reorganization meeting. That said it all.
First they save the hospital now I here Bruce Crowe is running with chasey on the ballot. WoW what a turn of events. Good luck Brucie I mean MAYOR!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember that sign.
It said "Thank you Mary Hunt". I had wondered what it was all about. Now I know.
RE 2:54 pm
What!?! Did Chasey say to Forman "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do" as predicted??
Will the Cell phone minute robbers be reunited once again?
What a lovely couple to run.
Stay tuned "for the rest of the story".
If the 2:54 PM anonymous poster is correct then it appears that the Bag Lady plans to shed some excess baggage before her next campaign.
There are many types of grants available to Fire/EMS. The grant writing process can be lengthy because if the wording is not correct, they will not award you the grant. There are website that list grants available and actually help you write the grants. The Twp committee has nothing to do with the Fire/EMS Companies getting or not getting grant money. The Squad had applied for a grant for a new ambulance but was turn down. Also, it should be noted that award grant money has to be used for something specific, usually what you outlined in the grant. Just google fire grants and take a look at the steps involved.
Bruce Crowe is one step above Doug Laubert, I guess.
To the 7:27 PM poster,
Apparently, you need to outreach to some experienced grant writers in the community to volunteer their services to have a better shot at some of these grants.
"The Twp committee has nothing to do with the Fire/EMS Companies getting or not getting grant money."
I would beg to differ with this statement of the 7:27PM poster. If the committee is responsible for appointing who the head of the Fire Companies/EMS is, then they also are responsible for his grant writing efforts.
Re 7:27 pm
Obviously,all the other towns have someone smart enough to use the right "language" in the applications. A hired professional would be worth the money. Would the "Chief of Chiefs" ego allow that? Nah.
The 4 chiefs pick their leader every year, not the township.If they have a problem with Franklin, perhaps they need to stop appointing him ? It appears they then look at the township as a scapegoat for the appointment.Go Bruce!
Re 9:36
So you're saying that the other three Chiefs nominated Franklin in the hopes that the council would vote "no"? If that's the case then they deserve what they got.
Did a surprise "yes" vote by Kennedy ruin the whole scapegoat plot.
Kennedy is not to be trusted or relied upon to keep his mouth shut.
3:01pm, Your last sentence is right on the money.
Kennedy goes back and forth oftener then my old windshield wipers. They're noisy,spread the dirt, make a mess,and are undependable, just like him.
Replacements are on the way.
Kennedy's lips are so loose that they flap in the slightest breeze. And that's a fact.
Kennedy has sunk more than one ship with his loose lips.
Yeah, Kennedy is so proud of the way he handles confidential info. He only tells one person at a time.
His favorite pastime is giving the low down on the higher-ups.
It must give him his daily dose of importance.
Kennedy and his loose lips sinking the Ship of State.
There is a book, "If you give a mouse a cookie..." Give EMS their building and they will want help with bringing it to code, than they will want to enlarge it because it is not big enough, than they will need help paying for the insurance, then for the maintenance, than for new ambulances, than more ambulances and so on and so forth....
Post a Comment