Mixing apples and oranges, the tax increase is County, the Fire and Rescue are paid by the District. The District is losing personnel because other Fire and Rescue pay more and have better working conditions...that has been going on for awhile. I don't know the details of the contract under review but, especially this time of the year, we should be fully staffed 24x7. IMO.

That's not a cost....the personnel are working anyway and they schedule the appointment so they can control. Not sure what the data points are on how many use the service but one person had it done here and they left when they got a call. They came back after the call so it didn't impact our coverage.

Speak for yourself

We will just have to disagree about that. It most definitely is a cost. Nobody does anything just because they are working anyway.

My retirement package is nowhere near as good as theirs!!!! In addition what r we paying OVERTIME in the first place

Do the respondents know what the fireman want? How about letting the district and the fireman figure this out without residents with no clue of what is going on tossing wood on the fire!

Your amenities fee (monthly) is what covers TVFD (Public Safety). It can be raised and is raised if necessary by each VCCD. Talk to your District Board of Supervisors four o the VCCD website.

Thanx dwhite5773 - am aware of how my property is billed for fire protection by both the Villages and the County - was asking the poster why and how the proposal would be accomplished and why! lol

I would imagine overtime is because there are insufficient staff in the first place to cover emergencies.

As for your retirement packaged, maybe you had a higher wage, and was expected to make your own retirement package better.
Some take and spend the money up front, and others save and plan ahead!

They must pay overtime just as if any municipal, county, state orderly firefighting division must! Minimum manning.

I agree. If staffing and equipment is so short, why do you see the units at fast food places, grocery stores. Doesn't the firehouse have kitchens? Waste of equipment operating hours and fuel. In times of staff shortages staff and equipment need to stay within their response time area. Firefighters are true hero's but they are also primadonas. To get real recognition they need to be in the house ready. That is the job they signed up for and trained for. Then look at operating costs and give the raise that is deserved

I don't know what their retirement package is, but I think all public pensions should be eliminated and replaced with 401K plans. Pensions are just too expensive. Also, it is impossible to predict the future cost. Almost all private companies, who need to make a profit to survive, have eliminated their pensions.

FYI, according to the NFPA,

"In 2017, a total of 60 firefighters died while on-duty in the U.S. The largest share of deaths occurred while firefighters were operating at fires (17 deaths)."

I tried to Google the safety records for The Villages, but couldn't find any data. But, if you base the pay on danger, then roofers and landscapers should be paid more than firemen.

If you see them at a Gas station they're getting fuel for the rig. if you see them at the Market they're getting the food they will cook at the Station as for the fast food place same deal. When they're in or at those locations the crew is with the unit and have their radios and YES they leave where there at and respond period. The places you see the Unit at are within their response area period except maybe the Fuel station.

Would this savings come about by laying of staff?