Who pays for TCI’s fire?

Photo: Matthew Perry

Some of the costs of the massive TCI inferno in August may get passed along to ordinary taxpayers.

Attendees of last night’s Ghent Town Board meeting report that when 2013 budgetary requests for Ghent’s three fire companies were discussed, two of the companies serving the Town have minimal or no increases in their budgets (2% for Chatham, 0% for Ghent).

But a third company, West Ghent, apparently needs a 10% budget increase from $100,000 to $110,000. When queried by the audience as to the nature of the new costs, Supervisor Larry Andrews indicated that while a portion of the increase might be due to adding a few new fireman, the bulk of it was due costs associated with the TCI fire, possibly the use of foam.

When the devastating fire occurred (the second of the year for the PCB handler), it was noted by many that TCI’s website indicated the company carried a multimillion insurance policy. The question the becomes: Why should Ghent’s fire companies and taxpayers bear the cost of even a penny of the expense of fighting the fire, and restoring services afterward? 

The firefighters deserve better; and as one attendee said afterward, “Why should we pay for TCI?”