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iq <br /> Hot line for senior citizens - many senior citizens and invalids currently use 911 <br /> to ask for help during flooding. The taxpayers already pay for this service and so <br /> they should not hesitate to use it. Furthermore, the 911 system is designed to <br /> handle the large number of calls precipitated by a storm. A special hot line would. <br /> quickly be overwhelmed.and result in hours of busy signals. <br /> Conclusion - I see two reasons for the public's preception that the City's response <br /> is inadequate during flooding conditions. The first is that we respond at all. The <br /> north end of the community rarely sees a City response during a storm because <br /> all of our resources are consumed in the south end. Consequently, the north end <br /> residents are more self-reliant (cleaning out grates, etc.) than residents in the <br /> south end. I'm not aware of any other fire department that responds to flooding <br /> situations to the extent that we do and sometimes no response is better than an <br /> ineffective response. The second reason for dissatisfaction is the fact that the <br /> public is programed to believe that fire departments can do it all and that all <br /> outcomes are successful. This is thanks to TV programs and Hollywood films. <br /> People actually get upset when we arrive on the scene and can't make the water <br /> go away. <br /> I feel that the answer lies in public education. They should know the role of house <br /> gutters and downspouts and the importance of keeping them clean, the role of <br /> check valves on sanitary systems, the need for a generator during power outages <br /> to keep sump pumps going, the importance of maintaining and covering window <br /> wells, etc. They should also know the limits of the City's response during a <br /> storm. We can't do it all and we can't make the water go away. <br /> • <br />