LETTER: Safety more important than ‘flashy’ projects

Talk about it

To the Editor:

It was good to see Roger Haley stand up at the last City Council meeting and reiterate the need for additional fire protection for the north end of Mitchell.

Surely, a city has the responsibility to provide the same level of protection to all areas.

All too often, municipalities across the country have responded to increase public protection only after an event resulting in a tragic loss of life. Response time is most crucial in extinguishing fire, and rescuing anyone trapped in a burning structure. Quicker response time allows for a higher level of safety for our first responders. Look at the house that burned last winter on the north side of Lake Mitchell. It resembles a parking lot now. Is this the fate of all homes in north Mitchell if they catch on fire?

With all the homes that were lost to fire during summer wildfires across the West and the shocking number of house fires in Mitchell over the past year, it shows fire protection is not something to be taken for granted. It seems cities always opt for the flashier projects such as a new city hall, an ice sheet, recreation centers, swimming pools and libraries, while delaying life safety issues as long as possible.

Hopefully, Mitchell is not one of those cities.

Tags: city council, opinion, updates, letters, fire, local, mitchell