Many take peace of mind for granted because there are always people around to protect us. We have police officers guarding our streets, doctors to make us well and firefighters to prevent destruction.

In East Lansing's case, citizens should be concerned and aware that the East Lansing Fire Department is hanging on by a thread. Union officials say budget cuts force the department to operate under substandard conditions, but there's no reason why that should be.

Yes, it was necessary to slash budgets across the boards, but some departments shouldn't get the short end of the stick. Some departments need more than the minimum amount of resources to protect clients. The fire department works on a $5 million budget, staffing 52 employees and operating two stations, one of which is located on campus. At any given time, a total of 12 firefighters staff both stations.

While having 13 firefighters is the norm, budget cuts have forced department officials to reduce overtime costs. It's especially important for East Lansing to have stability in its fire department. Resources were already running low in the past, but new developments in the Northern Tier have added more woes to the struggling department.

Lawmakers should be doing whatever possible to make sure not only East Lansing but all communities' fire departments are properly funded. State Rep. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, introduced a bill in July to raise the liquor tax to 12 percent per bottle.

Extra taxes might be one of the solutions to providing a solid fire department. Fire Chief Randall Talifarro said MSU's financial contributions to the on-campus station have decreased over the years.

This simply is not acceptable when students, faculty and staff lives are at risk.

Some of the extra tuition money students are paying this term should be used to make sure everyone is protected. Community members should speak up and contribute back to the department now, before a tragedy occurs.