The Selma Fire Department debacle is getting attention in other areas of the country

Here is an email to our town manager from an Arizona resident. Printed with permission of the author and town manager. This is an exclusive that you read HERE first! Yay, I feel like a real news reporter!

From: Clifton Terrell
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 1:34 PM
To: selmamanager@nc.rr.com
Subject: Fire Chief

Sir,

I have been reading and hearing from former resident family members of your area about the problems you currently have with your fire department.

I must congratulate yourself and the city council for trying to improve your public safety services. However, it is sad that I reside in Arizona and through the numerous professional organizations that I am a member of, friends and family members, the publicity has made it to this state and gives a very bad impression about your fire department and personnel.

I have seen this many times in my 22 years in the fire service and it sounds like to me that you and city council the are dealing with a scenario we in the professional fire service call the "volunteer social club".

By you and the city council taking control of the fire department, as most every city throughout United States does, I find the behavior of the firefighters appalling but not unusual in this situation. A true professional chief would have never allowed or condoned this type of behavior and years with a volunteer department don’t make a chief "professional". Only training and experience can do that.

I look forward to hearing about the positive changes that I feel will occur in the future and if you will be searching by a nation wide search for a chief, I may apply since it appears that you and the council what positive changes of the safety of the citizens of your community.

Again congratulations and cudos to you and the city council for what is right for the citizens of Selma and not what individuals think will be right for themselves.

Respectfully,

Clifton B. Terrell