Editorial: Cities, airports must weigh the best use of resources against maintaining safety

A standoff continues between the directors of Valley International Airport, along with Harlingen city commissioners. The Harlingen Professional Firefighters’ Association has threatened to sue the city if the city-run airport ends its current contract with the municipal force and hires a private company.

City officials must weigh the most efficient use of taxpayers’ money against how best to ensure public safety.

Airport officials want to stop using the city fire department for its Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting program and sign with Pro-Tec Fire Services. The Wisconsin-based company, which is the nation’s largest ARFF provider, has offered to serve VIA for $973,000. The current contract with the Harlingen department is $1.2 million, with a 7% increase planned next year and another 8% increase scheduled in 2027.

Harlingen Professional Firefighters Union president Evan Mann recently told city commissioners that ending the contract would lead to the termination of 10 firefighters. Those firefighters are protected under union contracts, and Mann said firing them would violate Civil Service law.

Privatizing would save local taxpayers a substantial amount of money. Of course, cutting costs can’t compromise public safety. No major incidents have been reported at the airport in recent years, but everyone surely wants to know that the best trained and equipped department is available if something were to happen.

Airport director Marv Easterly defends the VIA board’s wishes to switch by citing Federal Aviation Administration reports that note three cases between 2017 and 2024 in which fire department ARFF records were inaccurate or misleading. The most recent report, issued Feb. 19, noted that the records didn’t ensure that firefighters were adequately trained in the use of hoses, turrets and other firefighting equipment in reviews in June and July of last year.

The report deemed no action against the department was necessary, although it could have lost its certification.

Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz has requested the complete report, although he has given no details regarding specific issues under review of possible actions.

Apparently, the infractions weren’t severe enough to warrant any penalty, and Mann touts FAA reviews have found the Harlingen department to be in full compliance for the past five years.

Inaccurate documentation regarding firefighters’ training and readiness, however, deserve attention. If the airport were to face an emergency — and of course everyone hopes that doesn’t happen — we want to be confident that responders are adequately trained and know what needs to be done.

A search for possible sanctions against Pro-Tec found no records other than a $6,600 fine from the National Labor Relations Board in 2000.

Would a switch ensure VIA workers and customers are adequately protected while saving taxpayers a substantial amount of money? Would the savings offset the cost of any litigation or would it be better to wait until the current contract with HFD expire?

It’s not a decision that can be taken too lightly, or too quickly.

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