Tag Archive for: #vancecountyfiredepartment

TownTalk: Brandon Link Discusses County Fire Services

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–UPDATED Wednesday, Dec. 20–

It looks like the county’s Public Safety Committee is going to recommend to the full commission that the county fire department be given the green light to purchase needed safety equipment, to the tune of about $70,000.

The committee met Wednesday afternoon and Vance County Firefighters Association President Brandon Link was in attendance. Link told WIZS News that the meeting was “very positive, very fruitful.”

The unanimous decision to move forward with the recommendation to the full board was exactly what Link said he expected to happen. “It’s positive for everybody,” he said of the committee’s action. “Everybody got a win for that…we’re grateful for the outcome.”

The department plans to purchase three sets of turnout gear to replace damaged gear, as well as four new sets of gear that are reaching the end of their 10-year “shelf life.” They also will get new air packs to replace older units that lack the universal connection for buddy breather systems, which would be used to assist firefighters in distress while battling a blaze.

The recommendation is set to go before the full commission for consideration at the Jan. 8, 2024 meeting.

 

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The Vance County Commissioners’ Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 3 p.m. and at least one item up for discussion has gotten the attention of fire services officials whose job it is to keep safe the county’s residents as well as fire personnel.

The commissioners sent to that committee an issue regarding purchase of equipment and turnout gear, which was frozen in the most recent county budget that was passed.

Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright had requested that the freeze be waived so the department could purchase needed gear, and County Manager Renee Perry presented that request to commissioners at their December meeting, but it was referred to the Public Safety Committee for discussion.

Commissioners are awaiting the results of a fire study that should be released in early 2024, which could result in some changes to how the county’s fire departments are structured.

Brandon Link is president of the county firefighters association and he said getting the best turnout possible is important to protect personnel and employees.

“We order gear every year and it’s considered part of our operating costs,” Link, assistant chief at Watkins Fire Department, said.

Departments like his, he said, are bound by the National Fire Protection Association, to remove and replace turnout gear every 10 years.

The gear is custom fit, and sometimes it takes months for an order to be filled – especially since COVID-19.

“That gear and those air packs – without those, we’re useless,” Link said. “Without that protection, we’re useless.” He said some of the turnout gear is approaching the end of its 10-year lifespan in mid-February.

The commissioners’ next meeting in Jan. 8, so that leaves precious little time to place an order before being out of compliance with NFPA guidelines.

“It should have already been ordered,” Link said.

When a firefighter is injured in the line of duty, Link said his gear is “bagged and tagged” so it may be inspected for its level of protection.

There’s an outer shell, a moisture barrier and then an inner liner – all of which serves a purpose to protect the firefighter who’s wearing it. If any section is compromised, the safety of the firefighter is, too.

“It’s just like a suit (of clothes),” Link said. “You don’t wear a set of turnout gear that’s not custom fit for you when you do your job.”

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Public Safety Committee Set To Review County Fire Department Needs For Equipment, Protective Gear

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The Vance County Fire Department needs six sets of turnout gear and four air packs, at the very least, to make sure firefighters have adequate protection when they are fighting fires, according to Chief Chris Wright.

But this year’s county budget included a freeze on capital improvements that has the procurement on hold, so far.

The issue was discussed at last week’s county commissioners’ meeting, with support and recommendation for lifting the freeze by County Manager Renee Perry, but it was referred to the Public Safety Committee, which is scheduled to meet on Dec. 20.

“We’re looking to replace three sets of gear,” Wright told WIZS News, because of damage or wear. Another three sets are for newer employees, who have been using turnout gear that doesn’t fit properly.

“It’s big and bulky on them,” Wright said. “You don’t want to have but so much void space between you and your protective gear. If you have too much void space, too much thermal heat, that’s when firefighters start to get steam burns” he said.

TownTalk: Public Safety Expo This Saturday

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There will be a lot of action on the lot of the former Boyd auto dealership on U.S. 158 bypass in Henderson as law enforcement agencies from across Henderson and Vance County converge to take part in a Public Safety Expo this coming Saturday, Sept. 30.

Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright said the expo will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include representatives from a wide variety of agencies that promote and protect public safety.

“It promotes a positive atmosphere for all public safety coming together,” Wright said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “We come together in emergency situations so coming together outside of that…promotes positivity through the county,” he said.

Kids can take part in a bike rodeo through Safe Kids. And there will be a bike helmet giveaway while supplies last. Two bicycles will be raffled off as well.

Those in attendance can enjoy free hotdogs, chips and drinks while they last and the Kona Ice truck is scheduled to join the festivities, too.

“We’re trying to promote something positive here in Vance County, along with the City of Henderson, and partnering with all these agencies,” Wright explained. “It’s an all-around activity for kids and adults.”

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Vance County Public Safety Expo Set For Sept. 30

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The Vance County Fire Department is partnering with Vance County Schools to present a Public Safety Expo on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come out to the former Charles Boyd Chevrolet dealership on US 158 bypass to see and hear all about public safety resources in the area.

Kids, there will be a bike helmet giveaway, so get there early because supplies are limited! There will be many interactive displays for the whole family to enjoy, and there will be a bicycle safety course set up, too, so you can show off your skills and knowledge about bike safety.

Admission is free and the entire community is invited to come out and participate in the event.

‘National Night Out’ Takes Place Oct. 3 In Downtown Henderson

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Downtown Henderson is the place to be on Tuesday, Oct. 3 as area law enforcement agencies and other community organizations take part in National Night Out.

The community is invited to come to Breckenridge Street for the annual event, held this year from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be presentations and displays by the Henderson Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Crime Stoppers, Henderson and Vance County Fire and EMS, Vance County Schools and other agencies, all promoting safety and preventing crime in the community.

Admission is free, and there will be free giveaways, including food, drinks, T-shirts (while supplies last) and more.

Bring the family for an evening of fun and information!

In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Oct. 17.

ICYMI: Vance County Fire Services

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In the ongoing conversations among county leaders about the future of the Vance County Fire Department, many things remain unresolved. But when county commissioners approved the 2023-24 budget on June 14, a couple of issues were addressed, including raising the hourly pay for part-time firefighter to $15 from $14 and agreeing to conduct a fire study.

Following the budget adoption meeting, Interim County Manager Scott Elliott told WIZS News, “At the July 10 meeting, staff will bring forth the proposed scope of the work to be conducted by the fire study and seek board approval and for execution of a contract.”

Dozens of citizens – many of them affiliated with one of the county’s fire departments – attended a meeting of the county’s Public Safety Committee on June 7. Over the last 45 days in particular, citizens and those in the fire service have continued to express their concerns about the proposal from the committee to restructure the Vance County Fire Department.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the committee, maintained that the fire department will not be dismantled; rather, paid staff would be reduced by attrition and more volunteers would be added to that department’s roster. The ultimate goal is to provide 24/7 fire coverage across the county, Brummitt said, but it can’t all happen at once.

With the budget in place, a hiring freeze in place, and the study coming, the board, with a great deal of county staff help, has preserved its option to act on the study, including amending the budget.

After the June 14 meeting, Finance Director Katherine Bigelow said, “What is being approved is freezing the four vacant Vance County Fire Department positions and their capital expenses consisting of turnout gear and fire boots, for example,” as she went over some items with WIZS.

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TownTalk: Discussion Continues On County Budget And Fire Services

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All sides of the current debate over county fire protection should be able to agree on one thing: the end goal is to provide the county with the best services with the resources that are available.

Resources include money, of course, as well as equipment like fire trucks and the people needed to work – either paid staff or volunteers – at the 10 departments that cover the whole county.

What is at the center of the debate, however, is which path to take to arrive at that goal.

The county’s Public Safety Committee has presented a plan to the full board of commissioners set to be reviewed on Wednesday, June 14, as part of the budget approval process.

At stake, it seems, is the future of the Vance County Fire Department/Golden Belt: Will it continue to be the only independent fire department or will commissioners adopt the committee’s proposal to have it be staffed with paid staff and volunteers, like the other nine fire departments that serve the county?

Commissioner Dan Brummitt insists that the Golden Belt district will not be dismantled; rather, it simply will add volunteers to existing paid staff. The staff would be reduced by attrition – positions would not be filled when people retire, resign or otherwise leave their jobs.

The proposal includes having four departments respond to structure fires, a move that Brummitt said would help departments that may not have a full complement of firefighters during all shifts.

“The avenue that this committee and board are approaching is being reactive instead of proactive,” said Chris Wright, chief of the Vance County Fire Department. Wright also serves as the county’s fire marshal.

And there is little support among the volunteer departments for the committee’s proposal. Many of them submitted written statements to the county to express their opinions, wishes and needs.

Cokesbury Volunteer Fire Chief Adam Pegram said his department is not in favor of the restructure plan. The commissioners’ decision to allocate part-time positions for all volunteer fire departments has had a positive impact on the county’s ability to provide fire services, Pegram noted in a letter submitted to the county. He and his team “would like to see an increase of personnel to build on to the Fire Service instead of taking away from the force that’s already in action. I believe we should take the recommendations of the County Administration to look at increasing part-time funding in an effort to increase personnel to add to, versus stretching it thinner and keeping the allotted funding and increasing the pay rate of hourly staff,” he stated. He favors a longer-range plan over 5-10 years to ease into 24-hour staffing while maintaining the current county fire department as it is.

“The Vance  County Fire Department is a big supporter for all other departments in many ways and delivers great support to all volunteers,” Pegram said.

The Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s board of directors weighed in and, instead of coming down on one side or the other, offered a series of ideas for the commissioners to consider, including paying part-time staff $17/hr. to be competitive with surrounding counties and increasing the $100,000 county allotment to help with equipment expenses.

“Our department has taken the burden of purchasing a ladder truck to better serve our industry and community and to lower our ISO rating at the time of the next inspection. We have more industries in our district than any other department,” the letter stated. Bearpond is the busiest department in the county, which translates to higher fuel costs, maintenance and upkeep. And if more firefighters complete more shifts, costs for utilities and more will increase as well.

If the county decides to place county personnel at Bearpond, “they must fall under Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s personnel policy and shall answer to the Chief and Assistant Chief.”

Powell Wilkins is the chief of Epsom Fire and Rescue and said he and his team are not in favor of the restructure plan, but do advocate for the $17/hr pay rate. They also like the idea of increasing staff at Hicksboro and Bearpond to attain 24/5 coverage. Wilkins stated that a long-range plan should be drafted to support the growth and work toward giving each county department 24/5 coverage.

Chad Blake, chief at Hicksboro, said his department wants more funding for the Thomas Road substation, which Blake said they’ve been asking for since 2009. So far, they have gotten a single $10,000 allotment. The Satterwhite Road substation, meanwhile, receives $33,000.

“We would  like to  request the same figure as them because we see it as the same. They are both substations and insurance rates will triple if they were not there,” he noted

Blake said the four-department response may be something that could work within the county. “This would be a start and then each year (we) build off of it.”

The firefighters at Drewry are “adamantly opposed” to the restructure plan, according to the letter they submitted to commissioners and said it is “clearly detrimental to the citizens of Vance County due to the lack of emergency responders that would be dispatched to assist at any given time.”

What they would support, said Chief Charles Holtzman, is a plan that would put in place 24-hour staffing in all volunteer departments and leaving the Vance County Fire Department as it is.

According to the letter from Drewry, a committee formed in August 2020 was given the task to develop a strategic plan for the departments. Having part-time staff in all departments was one item within that plan, and “it is time to continue moving forward with staffing our volunteer departments with 24-hour staffing. The safety of our community and the citizens and residents of Vance County will always be a top priority for the Drewry Volunteer Fire Department and we sincerely hope that the Board of Vance County Commissioners will strongly consider the information we have provided regarding our position with respect to the restructuring of the Vance County Fire Department.”

The 28 members of the Watkins Volunteer Fire Department along with its board of directors are not in favor of the proposed re-structure, stating that it would “severely disrupt” services and would make community members and visitor vulnerable. “We feel strongly that such drastic changes should be phased in over time and until the phase in is  complete, the Vance County Fire Department should continue to operate and provide services” as it has for many years.

They advocated for a $17/hr. pay rate for part-timers and an increase in the $100,000 allotment from the county.

Watkins Chief Brian Clayton and Board President Joel Harris signed the letter to commissioners, which also included a suggestion that more a than one representative from the  Vance County fire service should have a seat on the Fire Commission as well as on the Public Safety Committee

“We believe that the process of putting paid staff in the stations should continue as was started in 2012. During this time two departments were strategically picked to house personnel from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Several years later in 2019 all the departments were approved to have the same amount of staffing. To continue this trend with the goal of 24/7 staffing we believe that the next phase should be 24/7 people in two selected departments while maintaining the integrity of the Vance County Fire Department until ALL stations have 24/7 staffing. The remaining stations will receive 24/7 staffing over the next 10 years. “

In Kittrell, Chief Tony Dement said there is a need for updated living quarters, a kitchen remodel and a dedicated training room. The paid staff need a place that is apart from the common dayroom space.

That’s just for the employees – Dement said his department needs additional equipment, including an engine, a brush truck, pagers, a tanker and more to “give my citizens the coverage they need.”

 

 

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TownTalk: County Debates Future Of Vance Co. Fire Dept.

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Chiefs from several of Vance County’s fire departments have voiced opinions and concerns regarding a proposal to restructure the county’s only full-time paid fire department and make it a combination of paid and volunteer staff.

That proposal, discussed in some detail at a meeting Wednesday of the county’s Public Safety Committee, will be presented to the full board of commissioners at a special called meeting on Wednesday, June 14.

If commissioners accept the proposal with its associated budget amendments to begin the restructure process, and then adopt the budget changes, the restructure plan would begin.

If the board does not accept the proposal and the budget draft that is before the commissioners now is adopted, no changes would be taking place – at least in the foreseeable future – for the Golden Belt Fire District.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt laid out the basic points of the plan during the 30-minute meeting, which includes hiring a consultant to help the county implement the restructuring process.

In a follow-up telephone conversation earlier today, Epsom Chief Powell Wilkins called the proposal a “vague” that will adversely affect people’s livelihoods. “We need to build off what we currently have,” Wilkins said, adding that “transitioning this department is not going to work.”

Wilkins further stated that business owners within the existing Golden Belt district need to be informed of the proposed restructuring, noting that this district includes areas where the county is seeing economic and industrial development.

Adam “Slug” Pegram, chief at Cokesbury and batallion chief at Vance County/Golden Belt, told WIZS today that his department doesn’t support the restructuring and stated such in a letter of support for the county fire department that was sent to commissioners.

This support is echoed at Bearpond Fire Department, where Billy Jenkins has been chief for two years. Jenkins told WIZS today that he and his team “didn’t want to lose that guaranteed response” that comes from the county/Golden Belt fire department.

“Our stance on redistricting is we want the closest fire truck (to respond) – that person on the 911 call deserves that.”

Doyle Karpunky, who is chief of the Vance County Rescue Squad, president of the Vance County Fire Association, also is president of the Bearpond board said decisions need to be made that are in the best interest of the county, not just one department.

Karpunky told WIZS today that Vance County is the only county among the state’s 100 counties that has this situation. “We are the only county in the state that spends that kind of money on a single department.”

He added that he wants all the departments to be treated equally within the county. Volunteer departments have to raise money to fill the gap that the standard $100,000 annual county allotment doesn’t cover.

“We don’t want to see anyone lose their job,” said Chad Blake, chief at Hicksboro. “At the end of the day, it’s about taking care of citizens.”

Brummitt said the proposal would not gut the Golden Belt Fire Department; rather, the positions would be reduced by attrition over time. According to Brummitt, the state fire marshal’s office has recommended that more volunteers be added to the Golden Belt roster during recent ISO inspections.

“We are not getting rid of the department, we are adding volunteers to support the department,” he reinterated in a phone conversation today with WIZS.

As the county grows, the idea is to have two paid staff at each of the county’s 10 fire departments, with the ultimate goal of having paid personnel in all the departments – a feat that could take years to achieve.

And if the four-call system is implemented, it would mean that four departments would response to a structure fire, Brummitt noted. And since Golden Belt sits in the central part of the county, it is more than likely going to be called on more often to be one of the four units responding.

Several in opposition to the proposal have mentioned increased difficulty in finding volunteers to provide much-needed support to the paid staff in fire department across the county, which seems to be a national trend.

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Public Safety Committee Releases Fire Dept. Restructuring Plan To Be Sent To Commissioners

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The county’s Public Safety Committee released a proposal Wednesday that it plans to submit to the board of commissioners that will begin the restructuring of the county’s fire departments, a move that includes a pay bump for part-time fire staff, a hiring freeze for open positions within the Vance County Fire Department and hiring a consultant to oversee the restructuring process.

The proposal will be presented to the board at a special called meeting on June 14; if it is approved, it would mean amendments to the county budget, which must be adopted by June 30.

More than 25 citizens attended the meeting, held in the commissioners’ conference room Wednesday afternoon, many of whom wore shirts bearing the names of the fire departments they represented: Cokesbury, Epsom, Bearpond, among others.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said the proposal includes changing the Golden Belt fire district from its current independent, purely county, full-time, status to a split, paid, part-time, part-volunteer department.

Brummitt added that the committee’s proposal does not recommend moving staff from the Golden Belt district, but said the department will need to find additional volunteers.

Brummitt suggested that the department would have the next few months to find those volunteers; in October, the proposal calls for eliminating all paid part-time Vance County Fire Department (Golden Belt) positions. “Through attrition of full time employees, savings would be used to pay for part-time employees,” the proposal states.

Chris Wright, currently the county fire marshal and the county fire chief, expressed concern about the availability of volunteers to help staff the department.

“There are a lot of holes in this and a whole lot of legal liability,” Wright said of the proposal, which also includes separating the fire marshal job from the fire chief job.

As Brummitt explained the details of the plan, he said splitting these duties would mean the fire marshal could oversee all the county’s fire departments and be a liaison between them and the county. Both would be internal hires, he said.

The plan also calls for the Kerr Lake fire department to become a satellite of the Golden Belt department. Any department with a satellite department would get $10,000 added to the annual $100,000 county allotment. Plans will be in place to pay off the debt of the Kerr Lake substation from fire tax funds.

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TownTalk: Vance County Considers Changes to Fire Service

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The Vance County Commissioners met Monday night but the proposed budget was not adopted. Preparing a budget – whether for a county or any other organization, is sort of like making sausage…nobody wants to see it being made, but they all want to enjoy the end result.

The annual budget adoption process requires having a public hearing before the budget is approved, but not a single person addressed the board specifically about the budget last night.

And no member of the Vance County board of commissioners made a motion to adopt the budget.

Rather, it appears that the budget adoption is being held up by additional discussion that will take place tomorrow, June 7, at 4 p.m. during a meeting of the county’s Public Safety Committee.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Tuesday that he hoped people interested in this topic will attend tomorrow’s meeting to learn more about plans for the fire tax rates and plans to restructure/redistrict fire departments across the county – this seems to be a sticking point in the passage of the 2023-24 budget.

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The issue of fire departments has long been a topic of discussion within the county – and Brummitt said there’s a “wildfire of misinformation” swirling about with regard to consolidation of departments, as well as getting more paid staff in place to bolster the largely volunteer organizations.

There’s talk of merging the county fire department and dissolving the Golden Belt district, but Brummitt said misinformation within the community is fueling unfounded rumors.

“I’ve talked to people in professional fire services, fire professionals throughout the region, “ Brummitt said in a telephone interview. “There’s merit in what we’re trying to do.” And, Brummitt contends, there are many options to consider.

Just what that is, however, remains to be seen. Brummitt said a written plan is not ready to be released to the public, but he said he hoped to have some details and accompanying budget figures at tomorrow’s meeting.

The commissioners will reconvene at 4 p.m. on June 14 in a special called meeting to consider any additional recommendations that come from the Public Safety Committee and could possibly adopt the budget at that time.

Commissioners have until June 30 to approve the 2023-24 budget, which currently is at $57.5 million.

If the proposed budget is adopted without changes, improvements to the county’s fire tax fund would help provide 24/5 coverage in the north and south of the county – that is, two additional full-time employees at both the Hicksboro and the Bearpond fire departments.

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