Thank you to the voters of Fountain Hills for defeating the property tax.

Now I have read that the town has 30 full-time firemen. Why? The town’s population is only a little over 20,000. During the winter time it is. Summertime, the population is way less.

During the summer we live in Loveland, Colo., population of 77,000. Loveland’s fire department information is: “The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority is a combination department which utilizes both career and volunteer firefighters. Our staff consists of approximately 90 career members (including both uniformed and civilian employees) and a volunteer battalion that serves the Big Thompson Canyon and the town of Drake. These department members operate under the leadership of a career Fire Chief. The department also receives valuable citizen input from the Fire and Rescue Advisory Commission.”

The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority provides fire and rescue services in an area totaling approximately 190 square miles. The agency serves residents living within the City of Loveland, and residents living within the Loveland Rural Fire Protection District, for a combined population of approximately 96,927.

Remember, Loveland’s force includes civilian and volunteer employees. Fountain Hills’ are all full-time career firemen. Using these numbers, Fountain Hills has one fireman for each 666 residents (during the winter time). Loveland has one fireman for each 1,066 residents. The math shows Fountain Hills’ firemen force should be 20, not the current 30.

Question: Why do we have such a large fire department for a community that is not that large?