Members of the newly-formed public safety advisory board asked interim fire chief Jeff Taylor Tuesday to compile a list of things he believes would improve services. Taylor will present this “wish list” to the committee at its next meeting on 9:30 a.m. on May 19 at the annex building.
At an almost two-hour meeting on Tuesday morning, Taylor said that one of the needs of the fire department is for a paramedic on staff to provide the required training. The staff must undergo two hours of training per day.
Since the board of commissioners earlier put in place a hiring freeze, this position could not be added now. However, the committee could recommend that the hiring freeze exempt public safety employees.
“You can make a recommendation but I don’t think it will get done,” personnel director Judy Greer said about hiring a paramedic. “We are short everywhere.”
Committee member Jim Fuller made a motion that the committee recommend that the hiring freeze not involve fire and EMS personnel. This motion died for a lack of a second.
“Positions need to be filled,” Fuller said. “There are minimums the county needs to be able to run and operate.”
Greer said, “Being short-handed has not hindered the service they have provided. They have not missed any calls.”
Committee chairman Bobby Caudell added, “If you are meeting the requirements, I would think the BOC would want you to continue as is. We can make a wish list as funds become available and for once the hiring freeze is lifted.”
911 director Deidra Moore said, “The response has not suffered…The responders have always gone…Service has been provided.”
The meeting this week is the second for the committee. The first was an organizational session. This week, the committee began discussing its purpose and goals.
Committee member Kay Reece said that the board needs to “be above reproach.”
“This county doesn’t need any more clandestine meetings where things are not out in the open,” she said. “There is so much controversy just over the existence of this safety board that everything should be done way above reproach.”
Committee member Wayne Abernathy said, “I didn’t know there was a controversy over the board.”
Reece responded, “You’re not listening to the county out there then because there is a lot of talk about this safety board and whether it is necessary. We are really being looked at by the citizens of the county. They are concerned about their fire department. They are concerned about what is going on with this safety board. I think we just really have to be above reproach to show the county what we are doing is for their best interest and not for anyone else or political issues on any level.”
Caudell said the the purpose of the board is to take input from citizens and make recommendations to the BOC on improving public safety. The role of the committee is only as an advisory board and the BOC could approve or deny any of its recommendations.
The committee was formed following over a year of controversy in the fire department, which included a large number of volunteer firefighters resigning. There has also been at least three overseeing the department during this time, including Gary Pollard, John Creasy and Jeff Taylor.
Abernathy said that any of the problems from the past should be left behind.
“Anything in the past, should be left,” he said. “As far as what happened in the past, I don’t care. I have no personal vendetta…We are here for the betterment of the county and the fire department.”
Reece said the committee should “do what we can to bring our volunteers back in.” Greer pointed out that this could not be done because of the hiring freeze.
Caudell said, “We are fact finding in these first few meetings.”
Those attending the meeting Tuesday included: Bobby Caudell, Kay Reece, Jeff Taylor, Judy Greer, Martha Threatt, Wayne Abernathy, James Lyle, Dan Sheridan, Deidra Moore and Jim Fuller.
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