New firehouse should be built

The News Virginian / News Virginian
Published: October 6, 2007

Asking whether to spend money on adding a fire station in a bustling area seems akin to asking whether firefighters should tap a hydrant as flames shoot out a second-story window. Isn't the answer obvious- Well, not quite.

So City Council has put the question to voters, who will decide on Election Day whether to throw their support behind a plan to build a new station on Waynesboro's west end at a cost of $2.6 million. That project is among six items that will appear on a non-binding referendum. Also on the ballot will be $6.2 million in stormwater improvements in the city's eight most flood-prone neighborhoods.

Fire Chief Charles Scott cites as proof of a station's need a 2004 report that gives the city low marks for response time. The report was compiled by Jersey City, N.J.-based ISO, formerly Insurance Services Office, Inc., which assesses fire departments nationwide. Insurance companies use the ratings to set premiums.

Adding a fire station on Lew Dewitt Boulevard, Scott says, would help whittle away precious seconds from response times, allowing the city to boost its ISO scores and leading to insurance savings for business property owners. The need for a station in one of the city's fastest growing areas appears acute.

But some people, including Councilman Frank Lucente, have expressed doubt that a station would offer enough benefits to justify the spending, especially considering that other, less-costly improvements could allow the city to beef up its ISO scores. Among the needs Lucente identifies are more training, stoplight control devices for firefighters and systems in commercial buildings to alert responders.

All of these improvements make sense and perhaps the point about those producing better ISO marks and insurance savings without spending the kind of money a new station would require has some merit. Still, it is hard to ignore what is happening in the west end. While other sections of the city, including downtown, have changed little over the years, the west end is vibrant, and the growth figures only to continue.

Acknowledging as much, the wise course is to build the station now rather than wait for its need to reach dire proportions. The cost of a new station later would surely be higher than the current $2.6-million price tag. Therefore, we back the project, and hope voters will, too. Further, no matter the outcome on Election Day, we beseech council to approve a new station for the good of the city, its people and the businesses our firefighters are called to protect.