The position of Emergency Service Coordinator

[Administrators]

The following was sent to us via I.M.:

To: Cumberland County Commissioners
This petition is an appeal to you to NOT eliminate the position of Emergency Service Coordinator, currently held by Mr. Dale Myers.

Mr. Myers is very involved in the community and the county fire departments in organizing their training and providing information to the community on fire safety. He is always available and very knowledgeable in the field of fire sciences. He has worked diligently to make sure that all programs are available to all who want to participate in a particular training and insures that if someone requires any type of assistance that assistance is provided.

We question that if you are developing a new position that already encompasses what Mr. Myers is currently accomplishing, why would you just not grandfather him into the new position, instead of making him compete for a position he already does? We say this on the fact that it would make sense to have continuity in the program, thus allowing all of the programs to continue to operate as they already are.

[FREE AGENT]

Thanks Bill for posting this, I will also post the link to the petition for those who may know my father. Looking over the list today it seems there are many of those from Franklin County, so i just want to say thanks for the support. If anyone has any questions you can get a hold of me. Thanks all for the support.

www.petitiononline.com/lspd0123/petition.html

Ben Myers

[sexyemschic]

Come on you guys Dale has helped Franklin County in a lot of ways too, he's helped open up training for both counties. So go sign the petition!!!!!!!!

[AC9A]

We are getting someone's attention !! and we will again on election day !! keep signing the petition FF's.

SECOND NEWS artical printed 9/12/05

"Who's in charge in Cumberland County?

Cumberland County commissioners have no problem letting you know. Their running order usually is to come up with a plan of action and head out of the starting gate.

There's nothing wrong with being assertive or in not wasting time. But they've apparently hit a giant nerve this time without soothing the ruffled feathers they should have expected would fly.

Their timing may not have been too great, either, especially since the Emergency Services Action Panel (ESAP) the commissioners created to tackle troubling issues should have foreseen how the sudden firing of Emergency Services Coordinator Dale Myers in favor of advertising for a new "emergency management resources coordinator" would be received.

The reason: Commissioners aren't saying one bad thing about Myers' 18 years of service as coordinator for fire companies' training. Myers says he has spent 35 years in volunteer emergency services.

He adds, "This is my life."

We don't doubt that. His investment in helping to build fire services in this county can only be viewed as a strong commitment to his fellow firefighters and all residents.

Commissioner Bruce Barclay says the officials have to beef up the job to carry out directives of the ESAP they established. "We needed staff to do that and we needed to add that to the job description."

The new position pays a Grade 10 salary of $18.26 an hour. The commissioners also want the hire to have a bachelor's degree with additional education in emergency management or a related field and three years' experience in emergency management. This last could be waived depending on experience.

We get the feeling that no one is going to be picking off qualified emergency services leaders ripe on the vine in the coming days. These are positions that may have to be developed from within.

It isn't assuring to have somebody apparently thought to be of top caliber by those with whom he works cast aside without a lot of concentration on his future options.

Scott Fair, financial secretary and past president of the Cumberland County Volunteer Firefighter Association, heard Myers' job was being eliminated. Again, timing was everything, since Citizen's Fire Co. of Mt. Holly Springs was hosting the county association's annual convention over this past weekend. Members of different departments have drummed up support for Myers. As of the weekend, a petition including 240 signatures and letters were making the rounds. And practically every truck in Saturday's parade featured signs to the effect that the companies support Myers.

Myers says he'll apply for the new job. If he weren't, he should have been asked to do so with an understanding of the differences in the job ahead of time. We also are curious as to the changes being proposed.

Volunteerism is at an all-time low. If the trend continues, more and more of these services will become paid jobs. The commissioners are going for stronger county intervention on the county's part to avert a complete move to professional services.

County Commissioner Rick Rovegno also says, "There may be, in the near term, more positions created."

We're not against what the commissioners are trying to do. We're taxpayers, too.

However, abruptness in dealing with long-time volunteers isn't going to get that aim accomplished. Nobody wants to give or see another person give 35 years of service — including 18 years in a job with the first 10 as a volunteer — and then get shuffled off because the job has been eliminated.

Besides, the job still does exist. It is being expanded, not cut out of the budget. Myers — the man in the position — just isn't automatically moving up to claim the new title. And the firefighters aren't taking it well.

It all could have been handled better, from what we can see. A little pomp and ceremony along with discussion about Myers' future role wouldn't have been amiss, either, to acknowledge more than three decades of dedicated service.