Let firefighters be part of the process

Now that the election is over, we would like to urge the South Walton Fire District board members to establish an advisory panel manned by South Walton firefighters. We brought up this idea prior to the election and we feel it still has merit.
The firefighters do have a unique perspective on what is going on in their station houses. As in any hierarchy of power, things that are important to the rank and file may not be important to those in charge and so may not make it before the fireboard.
Having an advisory panel of firefighters would give them a say in shaping the district in a more direct way. They are, after all, experts at what they do.
Having an advisory council could help board members make the tough decisions that will need to be made in the future when tax revenues fall (and they will fall). They can offer insight into what equipment works best for them, what benefits are most important and what is needed to make continued improvements in an already topnotch fire district.
The firefighters have expressed a desire to help run the districts in which they work. As an advisory panel, they would get a chance to do that.
We say it is an idea worth further consideration by the fireboard.