Medford VFD wants an update on status of its new engine
The Medford Volunteer Fire Department requested an update last Monday night at the July Commission meeting from commissioners on purchasing two new fire trucks for their department.
Joe Gilliam, a volunteer firefighter with the MVFD, brought the topic up for discussion at the beginning of the meeting under the “appearance of citizens” comment section on the commission agenda.
“I’m here on behalf of the engines that are supposed to be bought yearly. We have been trying for years to get ours. We’re wondering what the deal is—when can we expect to get one?” inquired Gilliam. “We’ve went into preparations. We’ve borrowed money to build a building. We would just like to know, are we going to be able to get one?”
According to county officials, Medford is next in line behind Oak Ridge Fire Department to receive funding for the purchase of new trucks and equipment.
Commission approved a resolution at this time last year to provide funding for the purchase of a new fire truck for the Oak Ridge Fire Department, officials said.
In total, $234,000 has been set aside to pay for the Oak Ridge fire engine, stated Anderson County Finance Director Natalie Erb, at Monday’s meeting.
“In the 2017-2018 fiscal year budget there’s $117,000 that’s been appropriated, that’s for the second half of the Oak Ridge truck that commission approved the purchase of this time last year, so the $117,000 from last year’s budget and another 117,000 from this year’s budget has already been earmarked for the Oak Ridge truck,” Erb explained.
“I want to say Medford may be next on the list but don’t hold me to that because it’s written in the resolution who goes in what order,” Erb continued.
Erb was referring to the rotation cycle Commission established last year, the same time they approved the appropriation of funding for the Oak Ridge truck. At this time, commission approved a funding resolution to provide funding every two years to fire departments, volunteer fire departments, and the Anderson County rescue squad for purchases of fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and other approved vehicle apparatus. Previously, the rotation cycle for funding to different departments was set on an annual basis, but due to budgetary constraints last year, Commission opted to revise the resolution to funding each department on a two year basis, with the selected department in the rotation cycle receiving funds over the span of two years in payments broken up between the two fiscal years that they are provided funds from the county for the purchases.
“Two fiscal year’s worth goes toward the purchase of one truck,” Erb said.
Erb further explained that the county has not yet expended the funds from last fiscal year’s budget or for this fiscal year for the Oak Ridge fire truck, but the funds are set aside for their purchase, and apprised commission that it would probably be by the 2019-2020 fiscal year before MVFD gets a fire truck.
Commissioner Tim Isbel, Dist. 4, suggested commission consider going back to funding the departments every year instead of every two years, saying budget constraints was the reason for making the switch.
“I didn’t agree with it, and I didn’t vote for it,” said Isbel, referring to the recommendation the budget chairman made last year to fund fire departments and rescue squads every two years.
Commissioners also pointed out that the financial bind Anderson County Emergency Services has put on the county as of late is a contributing factor to the money shortfall for the fire departments.
“We spent money in other places where we should have been spending it for our fire trucks, but what happened was because all of the money that was spent on several things last year is, we fell short,” Isbel said.
“I made it quite clear that when Mr. Sweet [Nathan Sweet, ACEMS director] came to commission requesting an increase in funds to the EMS department a few months ago I reminded him and everyone else the fire departments need equipment,” commented Commissioner Theresa Scott, Dist. 7. “They’re in a position they need trucks.”
Commissioner Chuck Fritts, Dist. 1, weighed in by stating that there was “nothing” commission could do this year unless money came in from the state for ACEMS.
“There’s nothing at all we can do tonight,” said Fritts, who suggested the topic be brought up in committee first to decide on before it goes before full commission.
Scott made the motion to defer the discussion of the funding request to commission’s operations committee to be taken up at that committee’s August meeting.
Scott Hackler, Norris Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief, cautioned commissioners of the urgency in which the county should start replacing the fire department’s vehicles.
Stated Hackler, “The equipment money that’s continued in the budget is one thing, but the purchase funds contribute in a large part to our insurance services office (ISO) rating. If we fall too far behind, then each homeowner in the county is going to start paying extra because our ISO scores decrease and that’s an even bigger problem for the commercial business owners where they have to pay more as well. Once you start accumulating this deficit, we get farther behind.”
Most of the county’s fire stations have multiple vehicles.
Every 25 years, the vehicles should be considered for replacement, Hackler said, but, he cautioned, when replacement time comes, “it’s not just one truck per department” that needs replacing.