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Commissioners approve fire‑services school MOU, life‑vest loaner program and local EMT testing site
Summary
Newton County approved agreements to place fire‑safety education in schools, create a life‑vest loaner program at Factory Shoals funded by a grant, and host Pearson VUE testing for EMT certifications locally.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners approved three fire‑services items on Aug. 5 after presentations from Fire Chief Royce Turner.
Chief Turner asked the board to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Newton County School System to add fire safety education to school curricula. Turner described the MOU as a formal partnership to insert educational programming into the district’s offerings; the board approved the MOU.
Turner also asked for approval to establish a life‑vest loaner program at Factory Shoals, funded by a grant. “We tried to look to see how can fire service support initiative to try to reduce some of the drownings, out in that area. So we went out and, procured a grant that will, pay for some life vests to put out in 2 areas out there,” Turner said. Commissioners discussed the program and its initial placement; one commissioner noted the program could expand to Lake Varner and other local water facilities.
The board also approved an agreement with Pearson VUE to establish a local testing center for the National Registry EMT and advanced‑EMT certification exams. Turner said the closest testing site had been in Forest Park; the Pearson VUE agreement will allow county members and personnel from other municipalities to test locally.
All three items were presented to the board as having “no cost to match” and the motions passed during the meeting. The approvals create a path for school‑based safety education, an equipment‑based drowning‑prevention pilot at Factory Shoals, and a local site for nationally recognized EMS credentialing.
