[This is an EXCERPT: read the whole article here. -Ed.]

by Andrew Del Greco

"With gas prices at an all-time high, city budgets are taking a hit because of the many city vehicles that are fueled up every day. But there's another concern that one city has in regards to gasoline; that's if they have enough during a time of emergency.

"Some of us may assume they'll always be there. That the fire trucks will extinguish the flames. The police cars will track down the criminals. And the snow plows will clear the cluttered roadways.

"But in the event of a natural disaster or fuel shortage -- if gasoline couldn't be delivered to our area how would our emergency vehicles operate? Right now we have a two to three day backup supply of fuel, but what if that wasn't enough in an emergency...

"That's why some [Idaho Falls] city officials are proposing construction of a fuel storage facility that could sustain services for a month, by holding 50,000 gallons of fuel, including unleaded, diesel and biodiesel."

Photo credit: Ron Parker