Court weighs volunteer fire department funding, chiefs’ capacity and equipment rotation

County commissioners and staff discussed funding for volunteer fire departments, recruitment challenges for volunteers and a proposal about vehicle procurement and possible intergovernmental agreements. Nut graf: Commissioners said volunteer fire departments remain vital to county emergency response but face recruitment and equipment backlogs; they favored continuing or clarifying county contributions rather than directly funding paid chief positions for one municipality. Multiple commissioners and staff described volunteer recruitment struggles, with some departments reportedly down to two active volunteers. One commissioner said chiefs are aging and finding it harder to recruit younger volunteers: “I looked around the room and…they're very gray headed. And they're telling me…they'll be not the people behind.” Court members discussed purchasing vehicles for departments through a county rotation: buy one brush truck per year and let chiefs collectively decide allocation so departments with the most need receive new equipment. A commissioner proposed allowing the fire chiefs’ association to rank needs and make recommendations as it has historically done. The court expressed reservations about directly subsidizing a paid Gatesville fire‑chief position, saying such an arrangement could set a contentious precedent for other cities. The court agreed to keep a distinct line item for fire department support in the budget and to ask departments for financial statements and to justify purchases tied to county appropriations. No formal vote occurred; staff will continue discussions and may present a more detailed proposal.