In Rick Perry's Texas, Firefighters Forced To Pay For Gear, Engine Fuel

[kpete]

In Rick Perry's Texas, Firefighters Forced To Pay For Gear, Engine Fue

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In some cases, fire officials say, firefighters have had to pay out of pocket for basic necessities like proper protective gear and fuel to get them to the scene. One fire department that battled the blazes in Bastrop County had to pay for a hose, recalled Bastrop City Fire Chief Henry Perry, speaking to The Huffington Post during a break from working the wild fires.

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Severe cuts have also hit assistance grants to volunteer fire departments throughout Texas. The grants decreased from $30 million per year in 2010 and 2011 to $13.5 million per year in 2012 and 2013. These are cuts that firemen are now dealing with.

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The cuts come at a time when Texas fire departments have already been slowing purchases of new fire trucks and other critical equipment as a way to save money, said Guy Turner, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. The association had endorsed Perry in his re-election for governor in 2010.

“What I fear will happen is equipment will start to fail and put our members at peril,” Turner explained. “You can imagine if you’re inside a structure fire and your engine quits.”

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/rick-perry-fir...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. someone needs to get to that leadership

and have them endorse Obama now.

[Lint Head]

2. Old Frankenfoot.

He wears lifts.

[n2doc]

3. Eventually they'll have to privatize

And we will be back to the "let it burn if they haven't paid" days.

[izquierdista]

4. What a bunch of whiners

At least the gub'mint pays the water bill for all that water they spray all over the place. Wait until all the water utilities are privatized -- and each of their fire hoses has a flow meter so they can be billed for that water they are using. Then they'll learn how to conserve!

[tsuki]

5. I have been telling this story to everyone here that complains about

the firefighters.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. I saw a story on the local news in Tyler last night about this.

They said their biggest need is gasoline. A firefighter said one of their pumpers costs $130 to fill up.

[onethatcares]

7. jeez' my 3/4 ton pickup costs that

I wonder how big their pumper is.

These people will vote for Perry though cause he's tough on crime.

[Kadie]

8. .

K&R