WEST END ATLANTA

Fire Station PIX

http://flickr.com/search/?s=int&q=%22west+end%22+atlanta+fire+station&m=text

I have a meeting with our at large councilman Ceasar Mitchell tomorrow, saturday the 24th at 9:30am. I hope that many of you can attend the brief but very important meeting. If you haven't been there yet come on out. I have also asked lt. Dawes who is,I believe, has a hand in giving out funding to certain stations around the city. He said he will also bring along the engineer to evaluate the building. I think this will be a great start to bringing #7 the oldest station in the city back to its original glory. By the way, the station will be 100 yrs old in 2010.
I had the honor of being asked by the Atlanta Fire Foundation head, Retired Chief Bill Rhodes, to attend their meeting. I got tons of info out of it. I will discuss we you all at a later date, in detail, what was discussed.

Did our firestation just get shut down? I was watching TV and I saw a commercial for the news and something about the mayor's controversial decision to close a fire station and then a quick cut to what looked like station #7. I'm not sure if I'll be able to actually watch the news in an hour, but does anyone know?

I'm pretty sure it's true - I can't link to the article I found because it keeps crashing my browser - it's on wsbradio.com Google it. Is there anything we can do at this point? Besides let them know that we are MAD????

I have gone down to the station and there were 3 news crews there. The have the intention to close OUR station #7 down by Monday. What a disrespect for our safety and health. I have been contacting people in the neighborhood about coming out tomorrow night a 7pm. I talked to a news reporter and he told me that if they get word that we are having a rally for support for our station then most of the news crews will be there. If we do not come out in a big number #7 is toast. Please Please Please come out and save the oldest operational, 100 years old in 2010, the 4th busiest in the city. This is really our only chance of telling the powers that be, that we are not going to tolerate our lives of our neighbors and loved ones to be put in jeopardy by a delay in response time.

What's next? I am angry.

This post was sent to WENDchat@yahoogroups.com. I know most of you dont subscribe to this group so I thought you should know that closing 7 was clearly political. John has more information on other stations around the Atlanta area. One of the stories he told me was that Mayor Franklin has two fire trucks serving her house that is manned by 5 firefighters. Everyone else has a fire station to man their home with three firemen on the truck.

John please correct me if I have the story wrong.

I hope all you received the email I send about the meeting at city hall. It will be in the council room starting at 12:30pm but get there before 1 pm if you would like to speak on the subject. I am in DC right now but will come back in time to make more posters. Does anyone know where the poster I made for the rally is?

PS a calling post will be done.


To: westviewcommunity@yahoogroups.com



I just wanted everyone to know that they are reassigning the truck from station 17 to station
14 along with the truck crew. Our station 17 will only be running the engine. This news just
happened yesterday and has been announced to the public yet. The firefighters from station
are trying to get me the email that announced this and i will post it so everyone can read it.
So not only did they close station 7 in the west end now they are moving more of our
firefighters and equipment.
Also, one of the firefighters told me that our Station 7 ran 4000 calls a year. Station 27, which
is in Buckhead, and services the governors mansion, only runs 400 calls a year yet it remains
open and station 7 was closed.
I will be posting the email as soon as i have it.

Greetings Vonda:
Thanks for encouraging our neighbors to show up in numbers on Monday. Community presence along with continued and consistent activism regarding this issue will be powerful and critical to any legislative success we may have.

I also appreciate your comments around the evolution of my plan for Monday. It is very important for folks to know that initiatives can make from their heads and mouths to the law books through the active listening and responsiveness of their legislators. Yes. The community spoke loud and clear that it wanted immediate action. I initially felt that immediate action without data would be an upside down approach. I made mention of the fact that I had prepared a memo last week to go to the fire chief asking some of the community's questions and requesting supporting data on the rationale for closing the station. I felt like legislation not properly vetting or supported by data would be premature and I conveyed that honest sentiment to the group. This situation has already been politicized by others and that's not really my style. I prefer to strategize and find thoughtful a game plan to reach a sustainable solution. HOWEVER, Cliff recommended a strategy which Ronald Lall helped m
e hone, that if presented properly, might appear a informed, thoughtful and reasonable. Although it is an inverted approach and might come off as being somewhat impetuous, it is not a bad approach - the situation is already heated and fast moving. So I agreed to act on it and I have since developed a legislative strategy I think will advance that approach. Just putting in a resolution requesting that the mayor open the station would be a waste of time and nothing more than placating - particularly where there is no supporting data. Thus, I will introduce an ordinance related to the closing and a resolution related to the issue of the data. The ordinance will be budget related and will require some executive compliance on the part of the Mayor to actually turn the lights back on at the station. The Resolution while carrying no force of law will take the place of the memo I prepared for the fire chief.

Please send this out to our neighbors and others for their continued food for thought so that I can get the benefit of any additional suggestions anyone may have.