the London Free Press
(Morris Lamont | the London Free Press)
I retired London firefighter vowed yesterday to keep up his fight to bring back the department’s dive team.
Retired firefighter Paul McPherson met Wednesday with chief Dave Hodgins to discuss the need for a dive team to perform underwater rescues and body recoveries.
The fire department axed the team last month because there wasn’t money in the budget for team medical examinations carrying a $36,000 price tag.
“It was a good meeting,” Hodgins said yesterday (McPherson)had an awful lot of passion for the dive team.
McPherson said he didn’t know what to expect but he saw things differently than Hodgins.
“I came out of there and I felt like someone had robbed me “he said “I am passionate about it damn right I am quote.
Recent debate centred on whether, and more than 40 years, the water rescue team had ever saved a life. The chief said no and McPherson, a founding member of team disagreed.
Along with Hodgins McPherson, the 1 1/2-hour meeting was attended by deputy chief John coberta and Ken gaskin, vice president of the London professional fire fighters association.
The meeting began with a presentation by McPherson, who defended the team by using case studies and old newspaper articles documenting rescues, he said
Hudgens said there was no new information presented, but he welcomed the chance to inform McPherson of the decision-making process that led to his recommendation to cut the team.
Hudgens wouldn’t comment about the possibility of bringing underwater rescue back to London, he said it would cost at least $90,000. The figure includes cost of the medical’s plus approximately $50,000 originally meant for dive team equipment that has already been reassigned to other areas.
McPherson isn’t convinced by the department’s budget woes, however.
“I didn’t fall out of a lemon tree“, he said.
“You’ve got a $30 million budget here.”
McPherson plans to take his case back to City Hall he wants to meet with members of city’s community Protective Services committee and perhaps make the dive team an issue in the upcoming municipal election.
“ We’re going to press on”, McPherson said.
Source: London Free Press
