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Last call for Dom's fire department? Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming George Mandas, who has served as captain of the White City Veterans Affairs Domiciliary Fire Department for 15 years, inspects fire engine ladders Tuesday afternoon. The Dom is considering disbanding the department and relying on Fire District 3 for emergency services. Rising costs could shift emergency services to Fire District 3; meeting scheduled today By JILL BRISKEY WHITE CITY - Residents at the Veterans Affairs Domiciliary could lose their local fire department, but they wouldn't be left without emergency fire protection or medical care. If Dom officials decide to phase out the 10-member White City Veterans Affairs Fire Department, Jackson County Fire District 3 will step in and provide services to the federal agency. One of several safety services The Veterans Affairs Domiciliary in White City created its own fire department to care for both patients and employees in the late 1940s. According to Jim Flynn, chief of public safety, the fire department is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We're like any other fire department," Flynn said. "We put our gear on and run when the buzzer goes." There are nine full-time firefighters employed by the Dom, Flynn said, along with two fire engines and two medical response vehicles. The majority of calls handled by the fire department involve medical care. In addition to the fire department, Flynn said, the Dom has a police department, safety department and industrial hygiene department. All departments fall under the same umbrella of public safety at the Dom, Flynn said, and each organization is inter connected. What veterans could lose, however, is a fire department that comes by at 2 a.m. to deal with a leaky roof. And they would miss a familiar crew who can shoot the breeze with a 20-year-old patient while respecting the dignity of a 90-year-old man in need of care. "The patients know when they call, we're there," said George Mandas, who has served as captain of the Dom fire department for 15 years. Response time at the Dom averages 90 seconds, Mandas added, for "anything from a stubbed toe to a heart attack and a lot of stuff in between." Administrator Bill Petrocini said the Dom is looking for ways to keep costs down while maintaining the care of patients. One option includes disbanding its own fire department and turning over to Fire District 3 such emergency services as fire suppression, medical responses, hazardous spills and rescue operations. "It's a fixed cost, and we're in the process of reviewing many of our functions," Petrocini said. "A lot has to do with the budget." Other services performed by the Dom fire department - including staff and patient training, safety inspections, sprinkler maintenance and fire drills - would be handled by other agencies within the facility. Officials from the Dom and Fire District 3 are scheduled to meet today to discuss the issue. A decision isn't expected until the end of September or October. Fire District 3 Chief Randy Iverson said the Dom already falls under the jurisdiction of the district. "If they shut down, it's ours. Period," Iverson said. "Our priority is that if we take it on, we can do it right." Iverson said several issues must be resolved before Fire District 3 begins providing service for the Dom, an agency that employs about 400, has a capacity for 820 patients and treats an average of 5,000 out-patients annually. Fire District 3 must be able to provide services to veterans and employees at the Dom and sustain the existing level of protection in the district without creating a financial hardship for taxpayers, Iverson added. "We have concerns about our response and community-oriented services (provided by the Dom's fire department)," Iverson said. Iverson said Fire District 3 probably will not absorb the Dom's 10-member firefighting crew if the department disbands. However, Petrocini said, the Dom's firefighters will not be let go. Plans for their reassignment won't be made until a decision on disbandment is reached. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.