I recently received a notice from the Cook County Firewise folks inviting themselves to my home for an inspection of my property. The letter arrived on Thursday June 25 for inspections beginning the following Monday, June 29. Hardly ample time to prepare for guests, although they were coming whether or not I’d be home. A procedure I suspect they learned from the nice people that occasionally leave copies of the Watch Tower on my doorstep.
According to the notice my options for declining their visit were to:
(1) gate my driveway, (2) post a “No Trespassing” sign or (3) sign and attach the notice to my mailbox. The visit seemed rather presumptive on their part, for what has always been a voluntary program.
Is Firewise worthwhile? Most certainly. When Board Chairman of our area lake association, I had invited Firewise personnel to speak at our annual meeting and Firewise inspections were encouraged through our newsletter. I had personally attended one of the area’s first Firewise inspections at the home of Cook County’s previous Emergency Management Director.
I support the Firewise program, but object when county officials invite themselves onto private land to implement a voluntary program unless the property owner takes specific action to “un-invite” them.
While there is no charge for a Firewise inspection, those performing the inspections are certainly not working for free. The current inspection effort is being funded by a “mitigation” grant from the MN Department of Natural Resources.
And why not spend all this “free” money? Because ultimately…like all government spending…it comes from us in the form of taxes, fees and licenses.
Bob LaMettry Pike Lake Road
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