Below are just some talking points we have collected from various sources. Please feel free to use them when calling or emailing City Council. If you have different points you think we might be interested in please share with us by clicking on contact us link above…. Thank you for your Support and let’s win this ridiculous fight!

· The City has done three separate studies over the last 5 years in attempts to close Engine 3. Each study indicates that the City of Meriden will suffer with less fire protection than it has currently. Rather than trust the experts they hire, they still attempt to close Engine 3 and risk the lives of our citizens.

· Engine 3 is completely necessary for a rapid response to the areas it covers.

· A fire left unchecked doubles in size every minute.

· The National Standard for response times to an emergency is 4 minutes. The other firehouses will not be able to make this time limit, which is the standard necessary to save lives in case of fire or severe medical emergencies.

· Closing Engine 3 is placing the burden of half of the city deficit on a department that utilizes less than 5% of the overall City Budget.

· No other city department is being forced into such a large reduction.

· My homeowners’ insurance will go up due to the increase in distance from my house to the closest fire station.

· The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) states that fire remains the leading cause of property losses incurred in the homeowners marketplace. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports there were 515,000 structure fires in 2008, resulting in 2,900 civilian deaths, 14,960 civilian injuries, and $15.5 billion in property damage. In the last decade, fires have caused direct insured losses of more than $120 billion and countless billions in related costs.

· It never makes sense to cut public safety to balance the budget.

· The reason we have 3 stations within a mile radius is due to population density and the need to have as much manpower as quickly as possible for a fire.

· With multiple calls and one less engine to respond, not only will response times increase but there may also be calls to which we cannot respond in enough time in order to provide lifesaving services.

· This is about safety for both the firefighters and the public. Less firefighters on duty increases the risk for injury or death, which will result in high costs for the city when needing to pay for injuries and/or death benefits.

· Perhaps the City should put greater efforts into making Meriden “business friendly” to increase the tax base instead of repeatedly going after those who save lives.

· Our firefighters have a strong community presence. They come to our schools and daycares, as well as neighborhood association picnics, to present fire education that saves lives. From them our children learn important safety information such as how to call 911, stop drop and roll, and to never hide in the home during a fire. Their “get low and get out” talks and “show and tell” with the fire engine will stop when there aren’t enough engines to handle emergencies in the city.

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