(Note: In general, I try to avoid publicly taking sides on issues that might seem to be partisan. This one, however, doesn't have to do with church politics or Republican/Democratic issues. Instead, I see it as an issue of public safety, one that has had a direct impact on many people, including two of my neighbors and one family in my congregation, all whose houses burned significantly, partly as a result of this situation.)
Andy and I didn’t discover that our new-ish house in the City of Blue
Springs was served by a rural fire department until 2 houses on our block
burned our first year here. Each house
sustained significant damage, made worse by the fact that our little rural fire
department station is much farther away than two other, modern fire stations
belonging what we thought was our fire department. Ever since then, we and our neighbors have
been trying to change our fire department boundaries. Unfortunately, the only entity that can
sanction this move out of Prairie Township Fire Department is. . . Prairie
Township Fire Department. Suffice it to
say that they do not want us (and our tax dollars) to go.
Their resistance has been disheartening on many levels. This fire department was begun in 1954, and it served the needs of the then-rural community well. Population patterns have changed dramatically since then. In the same way that some churches that were exactly where they needed to be in 1954 have found themselves no longer able to serve their current community well, the safety needs of our part of the Blue Springs community have changed. It's not a failure on the part of Prairie Township, it is simply that shifting population that brings new demands. Sometimes being true to one's mission means being willing to let go.
By going door-to-door, our group has been able to gather
almost 700 signatures for a petition. Tonight was the night that we were going
to present the petitions to the Prairie Township Board Meeting. We had a great turnout
of supporters, and we were ready for a chance to make our case respectfully.
(Note: Irony alert ahead.)
The Board filed in, along with at least one of their firefighters. And then one of them pointed to the sign on
the wall: “Occupancy 42.” With the Board
and company now in the room, we were at 44.
There was, in reality, plenty of room, but we were in violation of the
fire code. At the meeting at the fire station. (Note: That was the irony.)
In an act that still seems unnecessarily punitive, they made
two of us leave. Coincidentally, it was
the two clergy in the room who left. And so I found myself standing outside in
17 windy degrees (windchill was zero-ish or below). I thought briefly about departing for the
warmth of my car, since I’m always the coldest person in any room, but then I
reconsidered. I stood outside at the
window, peering in, right in the line of vision of the Board Members. I know I was
shivering visibly. Other people arrived late to the meeting and left as soon as
they found out they couldn’t get in. Only one other hardy soul (the other
clergy) stayed outside with me the whole time.
Inside, our spokesperson was testifying about our deep concerns about
the level of fire and ambulance service we receive from Prairie Township. Outside,
I shivered and pressed my nose against the window, wishing Prairie Township
would let me in. I didn’t have to fake
being miserable, I really was. They didn’t let me in.
They didn’t let me in, and they likely won’t let me go, to
another Fire District, that is. We’ve got enough signatures to bring it to the ballot
in August, which is our next step.
Standing in the bitter wind on a cold February evening makes me know how
very easy it will be to go to the poll on a warm August day.
