Hiring new firefighters rather than building a new fire station makes sense

York County Council is considering two options for providing much needed fire department coverage for a portion of the Riverview fire district that is growing too fast for the Riverview Volunteer Fire Department to keep up. One, for which some groundwork has already been laid, is building a fire station closer to that under-served section of the district in the Vineyard Road area. The other is paying the city of Tega Cay to add three new professional firefighters to its department who would be primarily responsible for Vineyard Road and the immediate vicinity.

Although both options have merit, we favor growing the Tega Cay Fire Department and have it cover that vulnerable area inside the Riverview district. All indications are that it would be more cost effective. Certainly it’s the faster solution to a serious problem.

As expected, the Riverview Volunteer Fire Department is opposed to the idea. Chief Sam Leslie told county council members at a recent meeting, “we have a number of very serious concerns about the proposal and are opposed to the county contracting out fire protection.” It’s understandable if Riverview is reluctant to relinquish primary responsibility for some of its own territory. These are dedicated, selfless residents who volunteer to run into a burning building. Sometimes in the middle of the night. In winter.

Did we mention they are volunteers?

Riverview has tried to address the problem. It stationed a truck in the S.C. 160 and Zoar Road area for faster response and since invested some of the tax revenue the fire district collects into property on Grant Farm Road, where it could build a new station. No one can accuse Riverview of not doing all it could to address the problem and in fact the department saw the growth coming and raised the issue with the county long ago.

But the the Tega Cay plan just seems to make more sense. The city has steadily been growing its department for years, adding paid staff and new equipment. A new firehouse is planned for the communities near Walmart and firefighters there will have a shortcut to the Vineyard Road area via the connector road now under construction. That road will allow a crew to bypass perpetually congested S.C. 160 West.

The process of setting the ISO rating that determines how much property owners pay for fire insurance is complicated, but there are strong indications that residents in the Riverview district who are covered by Tega Cay will be able to enjoy the city’s excellent “2” rating (with ISO, the lower the better). That’s another important benefit for residents.

We realize the county going with the Tega Cay option may make Riverview’s firefighters feel less appreciated than they deserve and that’s regrettable. If that’s the case, we hope they come around to realize that it’s not a competition, but rather the county making a choice to accomplish the goals everyone shares in the simplest, most cost effective and fastest way possible.

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Hiring new firefighters rather than building a new fire station makes sense."