You may remember a few weeks ago, Chief Anthony Goode reinstated a dangerous practice called rolling bypass or conditional company closures. With your help to raise awareness of this dangerous practice, Chief Goode took action and rescinded the policy. His new policy is FAR WORSE, however. Starting today, 11/29/2016, to cut down on costs the Wilmington Fire Department will put out of service one of the six engines that protect city residents. This means that every single day Engine 6 located on Union Street will not be staffed to respond to the emergencies of city residents, whether a catastrophic fire or medical emergency. This also means each time firefighters from other stations need to respond to calls in Station 6's jurisdiction, this leaves the areas they serve in Wilmington vulnerable to catastrophe. Given the drug and crime epidemic currently sweeping the city, these cuts very likely could be the difference between life and death.

I sadly don't need to talk in the abstract or list what-ifs in terms of this scenario, however, as Wilmington already has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of station closures. On September 24, 2016, the WFD received a call for a fire in progress. The station closest to that fire was closed due to a rolling bypass, causing those who responded from a much farther station to lose critical response time. The fire escalated as a result and two firefighters, Captain Christopher Leach and Lieutenant Jerry Fickes, lost their lives. Two additional firefighters, Ardythe Hope and Brad Speakman, were critically injured. 

Now, less than two months after this calamity, Chief Goode has opted to put in place similar dangerous practices that cost these men their lives and put their fellow firefighters and the Wilmington community as a whole in grave danger. It is also important to highlight that these changes have been put in place just as the holiday season kicks off, the WFD's busiest time and also a season when the loss of these fallen brothers likely will be felt most by their families.

We cannot continue to put at risk these brave men and women, men and women who sacrifice so much for our community. We cannot continue to put at risk the wonderful people of Wilmington, Delaware and the communities they call home. Still, we cannot fight these policies alone. We need the community's continued support and we need it now. Sign this petition to tell Chief Goode and Mayor Williams you stand by the Wilmington Fire Department and you stand against their dangerous practices that quite literally are playing with fire.