Rising diesel prices are costing fire departments thousands
Gas prices are hitting most of our wallets, and companies across the nation are trying to cut back on fuel expenses. But what happens when that fuel is needed to save your home, or your life? Just running a fire is expensive, and one of the most costly items on Windy Hill Fire Chief John Delung’s fire trucks are his diesel gas tanks.
“Our fuel bill has right now about tripled since last year. It used to be right around $17,000, it’s now about $45,000 to $60,000,” says Delung. The average fire truck has a 50 gallon fuel tank. So with diesel prices hitting just under five dollars per gallon, Delung’s looking at $250 per fill up. Windy Hill’s fire trucks get about five miles to the gallon for a response area that’s 106 square miles. In other words, the cost of saving lives has cost their savings. Which means the money for new trucks, new equipment and new volunteers are dwindling.
“We have 28 volunteers, so the cost of their gas is now coming into play, because they still have to leave their house, get to the station, get in a fire truck…so they’re now hurting in the cost of gasoline for the fires we go to,” says Delung. While he assured us that the fires will continue to be put out around the Pee Dee, one thing is for sure, these heroics don’t come cheap.
Fire stations around the nation are now re-evaluating how many trucks to send to the standard fire alarm calls. The initial response used to be five trucks on a scene. If the cost of diesel keeps rising, many places will be cutting back to three and even two trucks until the size of the fire is determined.
Reader Reactions
What does gas prices have to do with the Flo Rescue Squad closing? NOTHING!Come on rescue members dont blame the Fire Dept’s for something they had nothing to do with. All the FD’s in Flo area do an outstanding job and so did the squad, it is unfortunate that it had to close due to someone being out for them self and not the organization and the citizens.
The fire departments in question tried very hard to work with the rescue squad. The rescue squad refused to maintain the proper training to work “safely” at emergency scene operations. The fire departments were left with little choice but to step up. As far as the medical calls the fire departments have already been running a great majority of them due to the rescue squad not responding.
“The sad thing is, the fire departments, EMS and other county authorities in Florence County refused to help the now closed Florence Rescue Squad.“ This is completely ridiculous! Both fire departments stepped up to the plate and helped out the rescue squad. They ran the calls that Florence Rescue failed to respond to when the county residents really needed them. It serves the residents of Florence County better that the fire dept’s are running these calls now. Multiple calls do happen sometimes but not as often as intheknow makes it sound like. The fire dept’s do a great job of covering multiple calls already. Great job Windy Hill and West Florence fire departments. Keep up the good work!
The sad thing is, the fire departments, EMS, and other county authorities in Florence County refused to help the now closed Florence Rescue Squad with some financial assistance, so now these members of Windy Hill and West Florence Fire Departments will have about 800 more calls a year to respond to, since Florence Rescue will no longer be responding to medical calls. That means that if the fire department has members responding to two or three medical calls at one time, as was normal for Florence Rescue, if they have to respond to a fire or auto accident also, their response times will be much lower. The county effectively lowered the number of members responding in Florence by 15. That is 15 less people listening and responding to heart attacks, gunshot victims, drownings, and other medical calls. Great Job!
I’m a retired Driver/Firefighter {29 yrs}from Baltimore County,Md.One idea
for the cost of fuel is dispatch the closes engine to the scene, whether
career or volunteer, or use mutual aide.
County runs city calls/ city runs county calls. Closes engine,truck or medic. Career & volunteer are the same dedicated to the people !!!!!
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