This letter is to say I think that the people of Mariposa County have
enjoyed a FREE PASS on FIRE PROTECTION, and now that they are asked to
pay up to $80.00 per year, and they are coming up with every reason
not to pay. I just read a letter to the editor that made the list
grow. The reasons I have seen really amaze me. Here are a few: I live
on a dirt road, I live over 5 miles from the fire station, past
boards should have taken care of this, the present board should find
a better way, why should I pay just because I own a house, the fire
fighters want shiny parade engines, an old engine 20 years plus if
maintained will work just a well as a new shiny engine, and last but
not lease we are being fooled because it is just another way to rip
us off.

To the people who have these views I say it is your right to
think this and vote the way you see fit. I will say as a volunteer
the following reasons I see for a YES vote. The reasons are the
pumps on the engines don't pump at the ISO Max and most won't pump at
the least amount (in fact, only one passed the test), parts are no
longer available on the engines, we have a fire station that is
falling down, the people who volunteer to protect you slept on the
floor over Father's Day weekend as a state wide alert was called, the
next weekend the same because we were fighting fires caused by
lighting up to 12 hours or more hours before going to our station
and sleeping on the floor again, (no living area because no funds for
living area in county budget), finally I will give you the best
reason for a yes vote.
YOUR VOLUNTEERS NOT ONLY SPEND WELL OVER
$80.00 OF THEIR OWN MONEY, AND TIME SPENT ON TRAINING, MAINTAINING THE STATIONS, BUT MOST IMPORTANT IS THEY RISK IT ALL EACH TIME YOU THE PEOPLE OF MARIPOSA COUNTY CALL FOR HELP. One person made a statement in his remarks to support a no vote "hey it's only $80.00". IF A
FIRE FIGHTER GIVES HIS OR HER LIFE TO PROTECT YOU THE PEOPLE OF
MARIPOSA COUNTY THEN YOU THAT VOTED NO CAN ALSO SAY "HEY IT WAS ONLY $80.00".
You may have saved your $80.00, but at what cost. This is
not a scare tactic, but a fact of life fire fighters can die, but good
engines that get us to and from a fire and pump water will give us a
better chance to come home again.

Ron Setterberg
Volunteer Fire Fighgter/EMT
ENG CO. 29