For many years, I have had excellent fire protection, provided by the Tontitown Area Fire Department. The TAFD has professionally trained firefighters, modern equipment, and 24-hour availability.

Unfortunately, I live in Tontitown.

Our mayor, Jack Beckford, and his friends among our City Council -- Clint Penzo, Mike Zulpo, and Bobby Pianalto -- have apparently decided that they want to control the fire protection for our town, regardless of the consequences. They have refused to ratify the city's contract with the TAFD, have designated our inadequate police force as a joint police and fire force called the "Public Safety Department," have acquired one antiquated fire engine (despite absence of funding for such in the city budget), and are thumbing their collective noses at civilized society.

Apparently now if I call 911 for a fire, my call will go to a dispatcher who may or may not forward my call to the Public Safety Department. If the dispatcher happens to call the PSD, and if someone is around to answer the call, it will probably be a volunteer whose required 28 hours of training classes were cut down to a grand total of 10 hours. The PSD response, if any, will depend on one 1996 fire engine.

If there is a way to restore sanity to my city government, I don't know what it is. The laws regulating city government do not seem to provide for dealing with a City Council that is bent on eliminating their professional firefighting organization.

Holly Childs

Tontitown