Fired up: Acronyms unleashed!

To the Editor:

Dumbfounded and dismayed after reading the recent article about Columbia Fire Protection District (CFPD), just one thought materialized…. WTF?! How can such enormous funding disparities exist among county (TCFD), city (SFD), and CFPD: $3.2 million, $1.2 million, and $87,000, respectively.

It's curious that Columbia State Historic Park (CSHP) pays nothing for fire services, but most assuredly has expectations of protection should anything occur. And why doesn't CFPD get a share of Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) since CSHP is one of the top tourist draws in the Mother Lode? Other fire districts reap the county that Columbia visitors contribute to TOT coffers, as CFPD wheezes financially but is expected to carry on with equal measure. Meanwhile, CFPD abides by “...a longstanding mutual aid agreement… sometimes they cover us, so we have to cover them.” A ludicrous circumstance given that they can't even staff to meet their own minimum needs, much less cover financially bloated (by comparison) SFD and TCFD.

It's not unlike three kindred long-distance runners: two sated with food and drink, the other allowed bread and water only, but all expected to perform capably, while the underfed runner is also required to go additional miles on fewer calories. Ludicrous!

The county BOS and the city council must unite to rectify this dangerous, unjustifiable inequity. Perhaps $350,000 could be plucked from TCFD, $100,000 from SFD and given to CFPD, where Chief Mark Ferreira struggles mightily with an untenable situation. I commend his ongoing efforts as he wages a grueling uphill battle for resources.

As for state funding, no single entity like Cal Fire should get it all, leaving the small districts sucking win, waiting anxiously for meager monetary scraps to “trickle down” into their imploring upturned hands — “Please sir, may I have some more?”

What a crock! This needs fixing.

Shannon Mills

Columbia