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Multiple Randolph County fire districts ask commissioners for tax increases to fund staffing and equipment
Summary
Several volunteer and combination fire departments asked the Randolph County Board of Commissioners during a public budget hearing to raise local fire tax rates to hire paid staff, replace aging apparatus, and improve response times amid rising call volumes and development.
Several Randolph County volunteer and combination fire departments asked the Board of Commissioners on June 24 for modest tax-rate increases to hire paid firefighters, replace aging apparatus and maintain response times as development and call volume increase.
The requests varied by district but shared common goals: add paid personnel to reduce reliance on volunteers, buy or reserve capital apparatus, and sustain training and safety programs. "Volunteerism is down. Time commitments are up," Eric Hoffman, representing Eastside Fire Department, told commissioners. "What we're looking to do is add paid staffing to take some of that burden off" volunteers.
Why it matters: county fire districts provide the primary emergency response outside municipal departments. Several presenters said growth in the county, new residential and industrial development and overlapping calls require more on-duty personnel and newer equipment.
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