Budget cuts put safety at risk

An Open Letter to the Board of Commissioners of Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District.

I have recently become aware of several significant spending cuts that HISID has decided to make in our HIFD budget. As a former EMT for the Eureka Springs Fire Department, a former EMT for the emergency department of Mercy Hospital, Berryville, and a former Carroll County employee that worked in both the County Clerk’s office and Carroll County Judge’s office, I have been on both sides of the budgetary needs for the citizens of our County. As an EMT, my primary concern was to have all of the training, and tools needed to guarantee the safety and survival of my coworkers and patients. As a government worker, my role was to be a good steward of our resources and assets so that all citizens would benefit. All of these goals are deeply ingrained in my nature.

What I have learned in both of these public service positions is that there is a distinct difference between the wants of a community and the needs of a community. As an entity entrusted with funds collected from the citizens of Holiday Island, HISID is tasked with allocating those funds to benefit ALL citizens of Holiday Island, just as ALL citizens are expected to pay into this fund.

In my opinion, the HISID budget covers the following needs of the this community — our water and sewer needs, our roads and our fire department. These three things benefit every citizen who lives here and should be of primary concern in funding before our communities wants. Again, in my opinion, the wants of this community include the clubhouse, a pro shop, two pools, two golf courses, a new recreation center, marina, campground and a barn. None of these are free for any Holiday Island resident to enjoy in spite of the assessment fees ALL must pay.

Our fire department is the safety net for both our community’s residents and visitors alike. They respond 24/7/365 to any medical emergency, fire emergency, public/weather disaster need, trauma or water rescue. ALL residents and visitors to Holiday Island benefit from this and all of us combined are safer as a community because of their commitment to training and public service.

I feel that it is incumbent upon every commissioner on the board of HISID to put our community’s safety first when taking money from residents in the name of bettering our community. Your spending cuts for the HIFD have done exactly the opposite. We are less safe today than we were before your line item cuts. For example, there are several days per week now that our fire department can now only afford one paid person to cover all the calls that come in for the department. That is down from the number that we had before. That means there is only one person available who has to handle any fire, rescue or medical emergency alone and hope that volunteers will show up to assist on the call. Now imagine your loved one having a life threatening medical emergency. Or imagine that your house is on fire. Maybe a car just went off the road and crashed into the tree in your front yard. Do any of you think that one person alone is adequate to handle the situation?

Those same budget cuts also took away the volunteers’ reimbursement for calls, their training, their uniforms and their personal vehicle use. Since every volunteer is held to the same training standards as a paid firefighter, HISID has effectively removed any chance for volunteers who really want to help out our department but depend on those things to be able to do so. We all feel the weight of the economy these days, and I am sure that HISID is no different. I agree that HISID needs cuts to balance it’s budget, but when you start putting the safety of every single person who lives and visits here at risk, I think the stewards of OUR money would do better to look elsewhere. There are other budget line items that are luxuries and would harm no one’s health and welfare to trim.

Also because of this budgetary decision, HISID has now lost a fire chief that was not only exceptionally skilled in fire science, having been the chief of two other fire departments that I myself am aware of, but also a chief who was exceptionally trained in EMS services. Chief Ates had also attained his RN in addition to his paramedic. He was uniquely qualified to lead the department and develop one that would be among the best of the best in the future as the programs were allowed to grow. In addition to being exceptionally skilled on both sides of what a dual fire department must handle every single day, he was well liked by his department members, volunteers and the community as a whole. He deeply cared for Holiday Island and chose to forgo continuing his service here, rather than do that job in such a compromised fashion that he could no longer guarantee the safety of our community or our firefighters serving our community. Finding another Chief with his skills and genuine love of the department and our community will be a tall task.

I am asking all of the commissioners to reconsider these spending cuts to the HIFD and restore some of what we have lost ASAP. I am asking you to care as much for Holiday Island as I do and Chief Ates did under his watch. Put your citizens need for safety first, for that will be assessment money well spent and we will all be a better and safer community for it. Sincerely, Jill A. Collins Citizen of Holiday Island