Call off the fleet
We blogged yesterday with a reader's report that a Portland fireboat had been called out to Hayden Island to try to rescue a cat who was underneath a houseboat and wouldn't come out. As it turned out, the kitty's problem was solved, not with a $1,000,000 fireboat, but with a $4 board and a handful of treats:
Although the appearance of the fireboat was comical, we tend to agree with a reader who commented that in this case, at least the city was spending money helping average residents, as opposed to real estate developers, mega-corporate construction outfits, and the bicycle entitlement movement. And most of all, we're sure happy the feline buddy is safe.
| Posted at 7:49 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
To me the calling out of a fire boat to coax a cat out from under a house boat is the equivalent of a bogus 911 call.
Posted by Portland Native | November 23, 2012 9:27 AM
I have no problem with this use of our resources. Does anyone know many times a year this very expensive piece of equipment is utilized for its intended purpose?
Posted by pdxjim | November 23, 2012 9:39 AM
The goal is not to coax the cat out from under the houseboat. It's a plus to provide a PR photo op for the pet owner ... HEY, that does make it a "PET PROJECT".
The real GOAL is to provide inflated triple time payroll for the well represented and soon to retire 40 year old firemen. We all know lifetime retirement pay is based on the final years' pay and holiday pay is a good way to cook the payroll books.
Everyone's a winner... well, almost everyone.
Posted by ltjd | November 23, 2012 9:44 AM
Cats hate water. And love food. If there is any possible way for the animal to extract itself in these circumstances, it will find a way.
Posted by reader | November 23, 2012 10:00 AM
How is this a case of helping the "average citizen" again?
Posted by ws | November 23, 2012 1:43 PM
How is this a case of helping the "average citizen" again?
I bet Mayor Adams has no clue who they are. And these folks didn't donate to his causes.
Therefore, they are an "average citizen".
They also live in suburbia, likely drives to/from where they need to go, shops at Target instead of Whole Paycheck...
Posted by Erik H. | November 23, 2012 6:08 PM
But does it take all of the 12 fire bureau boats tied up at the Hawthorne Bridge fire station to rescue a cat? Or the 9 to 12 firefighters stationed there?
Posted by lw | November 23, 2012 6:49 PM
Once again, the Portland Fire and Rescue DID NOT "rescue" any cat. They merely dispatched a very expensive piece of equipment and several highly paid rescue personnel at considerable expense with no results. The dispatch of these resources will be used as justification for yet MORE resources NEXT YEAR.
They gave the impression that they cared and would respond to any request for service irrespective of need, cost, or likely hood of success.
Form over substance is enough for most city bureaus... as well as many citizens.
Which is one reason the pink chart on the left shows $ 6 1/2 BILLION in obligations by Portland taxpayers.
And yet some say, "MORE, MORE, MORE..."
What a shock... the 59 cent tuna can worked!
Posted by ltjd | November 23, 2012 7:47 PM
ltjd:
Don't assume that they are not federally required to make a visit after an emergency call (who knows who called what?).
When you call 911, it is required (I believe) for a visit to your home by a police officer to make sure things are okay.
We don't know who called what. Was this a non-emergency number that was dialed? 911? The Fire Department directly?
Not enough details but a waste to call in the first place anyways by those looking to save a cat from an easy situation.
Look, if a cat died and a fire department refused to come; the media would pick it up and they'd get citizen outcry anyways.
The blame is at the people involved, not the fire department.
And no, average citizens don't call for help in situations like this.
Posted by ws | November 23, 2012 11:28 PM