The Tampa Tribune prides itself on reflecting a variety of views, including those that may not be popular. We strive on a daily basis to provide our readers in digital and print an outlet to be informed.
As publisher of the Tribune, I’m no different than other readers. I frequently see articles that get my Irish up, but a syndicated commentary we published Sept. 14, “Sounding an alarm on career firefighters” (Views), generated a stronger reaction than usual.
This is personal for me. I am a former firefighter who served in Oakland County and Detroit, Michigan, until 1999. I attended the State of Michigan Department of State Police Firefighters Training Council, had the opportunity to work the pits and turns at the Belle Isle Grand Prix in Detroit and met some of the most interesting and influential people of my life.
As such, I felt a need to respond to the claims of Fred McChesney, a professor of law and economics at the University of Miami. His article, which we reprinted like we do numerous other articles and commentaries, was originally published in The Washington Post.
In his effort to make it seem as if professional firefighters were an unnecessary expense, McChesney ignored many facts and the dangerous reality of firefighting.According to the Nation Fire Protection Agency, in 2014 there were 1,298,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 3,275 civilian deaths, 15,775 civilian injuries and $11.6 billion in property damage.