“Founded on Progress” is not just the City of Kettering’s motto; it is an ideal that has driven the policies of the cities administration and elected officials for over 50 years. Proof of the city’s progressive thinking and policies can be measured by the many excellent services provided by Kettering, and can be seen in numerous projects and developments throughout the city.  Kettering has countless nationally recognized programs and departments: police, finance, parks and recreation, engineering, and planning and development.  Unfortunately, the fire department is missing from the list. 

Kettering’s leaders have allowed the tradition of having a volunteer fire department, and the myth of volunteer firefighters costing less than full-time firefighters impede the progress of the fire department.  The city and fire administration base every decision about the fire department on how it will affect the volunteers, and not whether it will improve services to the citizens.  Kettering’s recent passing of an income tax increase ensures its ability to pay for any perceived budget increases associated with the transition from a combination (professional and volunteer) to a full-time, professional department.  The citizens of Kettering deserve the safety and stability that a professional fire department provides. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association (organization that sets fire protection and prevention standards), “the response goal of every fire department is for the first engine to arrive within six minutes and for the remainder of the response to arrive within eight minutes of the 911 call.”  The expectation is that fire departments will reach these goals on 90 percent of their calls.  The most recent statistics reported by The National Fire Administration (department of the federal government) show that the Kettering Fire Department achieves the response goal only 63 percent of the time.  In contrast, many area departments are able to achieve much higher percentages: Dayton 91.6 %, Xenia 96 %, Hamilton 97.8 %, Miamisburg 94.5 %, Middletown 94.5 %, Sidney 91.8 %, Springfield 94.4%, and Oakwood 100%.  This group of cities is very diverse in their size, geography, and financial means.  However, they have one very important trait in common: they have full-time, professional fire departments.  Kettering Fire Department statistics corroborate the assertion that a professional fire department achieves faster response times than volunteer or combination departments.  Specifically, Kettering dispatch logs show that “volunteer engines average 3.5 minutes to leave the station versus 1.2 minutes for a Kettering full-time engine.”  The conversion from a combination fire department to full-time department would immediately reduce the time it takes to arrive at a person’s home in an emergency. 

Response times have a direct effect on life and property loss.  The fire industry and scientific community have long accepted the principle that a fire, under normal conditions, doubles in size every minute.  When using the N.F.P.A. standards of 1 minute to dispatch a call and four minutes travel time, the average Kettering fire will grow to 384 times its original size before the volunteers arrive on scene versus 76.8 times before a full-time crew arrives on scene.  These numbers are not inflated or skewed in any way if anything they are conservative.  Newer studies are finding that fires today burn hotter and consistently grow faster than the decades old standard of doubling every minute.  This is due to modern building construction techniques and the proliferation of synthetic materials used in household goods.  No logical argument exists for increased response times; however, the City of Kettering leaders continue to support a dual response configuration that determines the value of a person’s life and property by the time of day or the day of the week, it is.

Another important aspect in the conservation of life and property is the actual personnel that respond to the emergencies.  Vast disparities exist between the hiring procedures and minimum requirements of the two different groups.  Full-time personnel go through a rigorous process of written exams, extensive background checks, psychological evaluations, physical capabilities testing, medical exams, multiple lie detector tests, and oral board interviews.  Volunteers need only to fill out an application, interview with a volunteer officer, and complete a simplified background check and medical exam.  A full-time applicant must possess a paramedic certification to be considered for employment while volunteer applicants are only required to have a high school diploma and a driver license to be considered.  After a full-time employee’s probationary period is complete, the employee must possess the following certifications: EMT-Paramedic, Firefighter Level II, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Fire Safety Inspector.  In comparison, a volunteer only needs to posses the following certifications: First Responder (basic first aid), Firefighter Level I, and Hazardous Materials Operations.  Camouflaging the differences between the two classes of firefighters, by providing identical uniforms for both to wear, does not change the fact that we truly are different.  Do you want a highly trained on-duty professional firefighter, or a minimally trained off-duty volunteer firefighter responding to your home in an emergency?

A potential increase in cost is the only possible argument against a city switching from a combination fire department to a full-time department.  In many instances, this is a valid concern; however, a reorganization plan has been presented to council that would only increase the fire department budget by approximately $40,000.  That amount is less than one-half percent of the current budget.  In addition, Kettering just increased the income tax rate; the increase will boost tax revenues by $8,000,000 per year.  The city is already indicating that the majority of the additional funds will go to the parks and recreation department. 

In 1997, Fire Chief Zickler addressed the full-time firefighters on the state of the department.  At that time he stated, “The way the department provides services is immoral and borderline illegal.”  Nearly ten years later the same dual response system is still in place.  The only way city leaders will institute the needed changes to the fire department is if they perceive that the failure to do so is a greater political liability than changing the traditions of the volunteers.  If you believe the safety of your life and your family’s life is more important than a tradition, then let the elected officials of Kettering know.