In terms of damage done to equipment and operations, the fire Jan. 19 at the Badger State Ethanol plant in Monroe seems to have been relatively minor. That is the perspective from which BSE President Gary Kramer downplayed news of the fire last week, saying damage was mostly "cosmetic." His characterization of the fire as minor was unnecessarily construed by some Times readers as offensive.
That's because, from the perspective of emergency response personnel, the fire was a relatively major event. It required about eight hours of time, energy and equipment to fight in brutally frigid conditions. There were about 77 personnel from eight area departments on scene. Nearly two dozen pieces of equipment were used, and the cost to the departments, according to Monroe Fire Chief Daryl Rausch, was about $14,000. While the fire was under control in about four hours, and the public appears to have never been in danger, from a purely operational standpoint it was a major event.
That said, whether the ethanol plant fire was major or minor is a secondary point to what is likely to be its lasting impact. The fire at the plant is likely to be as strong of a case that can be made without tragic consequences that building a west-side fire station must be a priority for the City of Monroe.
The reflex time - the time from the dispatch call to the first action taken by a fire department at the scene - of the Monroe Fire Department to the ethanol plant was 10.5 minutes. That is unacceptable, as the National Fire Protection Association standards state that all areas served by a fire department should be within a 6- to 8-minute reflex time, and that standard should be met 90 percent of the time. The city's west side, where most of the recent developments have occurred, must not continue to be a part of Monroe where that standard isn't met.
The reflex time wasn't the fault of the volunteer firefighting force. It was caused by the fact that the city's fire station is downtown.
Response times were the major factor in Rausch's push the past couple of years for a fire station on city-owned property that, interestingly, sits in Badger State Ethanol's back yard. The proposal for a west-side fire station mostly has received a welcome reception from the Monroe City Council. There seems to be an acknowledgment of its need.
Rausch, recognizing the 2009 budget realities the city was facing, put his west-side fire station proposal on hold. City leaders collectively decided not to make any spending on a west-side fire station a priority for this year.
But the ethanol plant fire is an example of why it must become a priority, if not this year than certainly in 2010. Rausch and city leaders should resume public discussions about how to proceed with a west-side fire station plan in the coming weeks and months.
That's because, from the perspective of emergency response personnel, the fire was a relatively major event. It required about eight hours of time, energy and equipment to fight in brutally frigid conditions. There were about 77 personnel from eight area departments on scene. Nearly two dozen pieces of equipment were used, and the cost to the departments, according to Monroe Fire Chief Daryl Rausch, was about $14,000. While the fire was under control in about four hours, and the public appears to have never been in danger, from a purely operational standpoint it was a major event.
That said, whether the ethanol plant fire was major or minor is a secondary point to what is likely to be its lasting impact. The fire at the plant is likely to be as strong of a case that can be made without tragic consequences that building a west-side fire station must be a priority for the City of Monroe.
The reflex time - the time from the dispatch call to the first action taken by a fire department at the scene - of the Monroe Fire Department to the ethanol plant was 10.5 minutes. That is unacceptable, as the National Fire Protection Association standards state that all areas served by a fire department should be within a 6- to 8-minute reflex time, and that standard should be met 90 percent of the time. The city's west side, where most of the recent developments have occurred, must not continue to be a part of Monroe where that standard isn't met.
The reflex time wasn't the fault of the volunteer firefighting force. It was caused by the fact that the city's fire station is downtown.
Response times were the major factor in Rausch's push the past couple of years for a fire station on city-owned property that, interestingly, sits in Badger State Ethanol's back yard. The proposal for a west-side fire station mostly has received a welcome reception from the Monroe City Council. There seems to be an acknowledgment of its need.
Rausch, recognizing the 2009 budget realities the city was facing, put his west-side fire station proposal on hold. City leaders collectively decided not to make any spending on a west-side fire station a priority for this year.
But the ethanol plant fire is an example of why it must become a priority, if not this year than certainly in 2010. Rausch and city leaders should resume public discussions about how to proceed with a west-side fire station plan in the coming weeks and months.
