Midway Fire Department reinstated; county approves medical director contract for fire rescue

County staff told commissioners Aug. 5 that the City of Midway Fire Department was reinstated by the Georgia Fire Standards and Training Council on July 1 and that the county will close out its billing with the city and coordinate mutual‑aid and operational agreements.

The reinstatement matters because it returns Midway to active status for local fire protection and restores its role in mutual‑aid arrangements with the county; county staff said the county and Midway will coordinate formal mutual‑aid agreements for shared response and support.

Fire services staff also presented a two‑year professional services contract with Dr. J. Williams to serve as medical director for Liberty County Fire Rescue. The contract carries a modest annual fee ($600 noted by staff) and was described as budgeted in the current fiscal plan. Fire leadership said the medical director provides clinical oversight, approves protocols and serves as the official medical authority should any scope‑of‑practice or treatment questions arise; staff characterized Dr. Williams as “a safety net” that validates medical training, testing and operations.

Commissioners asked whether combining EMS and fire medical direction would reduce cost; staff explained that Liberty County EMS operates at an advanced life support level with transport responsibilities and therefore has a separate and larger medical‑direction agreement, so fire‑service medical direction remains a separate, lower‑cost contract. The board unanimously approved the medical director contract and staff said they will coordinate mutual‑aid MOUs with the City of Midway over the coming weeks.