Dec. 17: Does Alvarez Expect Scheduled Emergencies In Key Biscayne?

By Sylvia Gurinsky

“What I would tell the people in Key Biscayne is – schedule your fires, if you’re going to have one in your house. And schedule your heart attack to meet the department’s time table."

-Dominick Barbera
President-Elect, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1403

Barbera was absolutely right in his comments to WPLG-Channel 10. Miami-Dade County Fire Station 15, which serves Key Biscayne, is now closed two days a week because of budget cuts. The closest county station available is in South Miami.

Here's what Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez had to say:

http://www.justnews.com/news/21990320/detail.html

That excuse simply doesn't cut it, especially after Alvarez made budget priorities an issue by not eliminating the raises he gave many members of his staff. Those raises certainly aren't emergencies.

But the potential for genuine emergencies - unscheduled - is always present in Key Biscayne, which has a lot of condominiums, a school, hotels and the Cape Florida Lighthouse.

That municipality's best bet might be to try to make some sort of a deal not with the county, but with the City of Miami, which has a couple of stations in the downtown area - not far from Key Biscayne, and a lot closer than the South Miami station.

It's already pretty obvious that reaching Alvarez is impossible. He is tone-deaf to true budget needs.