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Fire chiefs and volunteers urge county not to cut emergency services as budget debate intensifies
Summary
Fire chiefs and volunteer leaders told supervisors that rising equipment and training costs make county appropriations critical; supervisors publicly pledged to avoid cutting emergency services and discussed recruitment incentives tied to tuition support.
Representatives of Russell County’s volunteer fire departments and rescue squads warned supervisors that proposed budget reductions could harm emergency response capacity and make it harder to recruit and retain volunteers.
William Harrison, representing the Russell County Fire Chiefs Association, outlined equipment and replacement costs that departments face: modern pumpers can cost about $900,000, hose and turnout gear require frequent replacement and specialized equipment and training are costly. Chiefs said county appropriations, though a small portion of local firefighting budgets, are essential for replacing equipment that volunteers cannot fund through donations and fundraisers alone.
Several volunteer chiefs and firefighters described recent local fire deaths and said cutting appropriations would shift the financing burden back onto departments and could reduce emergency readiness. Supervisors acknowledged those concerns: one supervisor said at no point had cuts to emergency services been formally discussed for implementation, and multiple supervisors publicly committed not to cut fire and rescue funding during the current budget cycle.
Board members discussed possible incentives to increase volunteer ranks, including a program discussed with a nearby county and a local college to offer tuition support for volunteers who complete training and remain active. The county administrator and sheriff’s office said they would continue to work with chiefs on recruitment and retention measures and on replacing depleted equipment reserves.
The board’s budget deliberations later protected emergency services in the draft package presented to the public. Fire leaders asked for more frequent engagement with supervisors and invited board members to attend monthly chiefs’ meetings to see operational needs first-hand.
No formal reductions to emergency services were adopted; supervisors said they would prioritize public safety and report back to chiefs on concrete support measures.
