Committee hears volunteer fire procurement problems and votes to seek reinstatement of smoke-detector fund

The Coffee County Health, Welfare and Recreation Committee on April 22 heard volunteer fire departments describe new county purchasing and shipping requirements that are delaying equipment orders paid from the county's rural fund and voted to send a proposal to budget and finance to reinstate the county's smoke-detector fund.

Committee members and volunteer fire representatives said the county's rural fund (fund code referenced in the meeting as 410-0667) has been useful for buying equipment but that recent changes in where purchasing is run and in approval thresholds have created extra steps that can stall orders. "We would like to try and get it renewed. It's been a great help to us to get equipment," said Mark, assistant chief with Summitville Fire.

Why it matters: volunteer departments rely on the rural fund for safety equipment and small capital purchases. Changes tied to purchasing operations and to how the county receives shipments, committee members said, can leave trucks and equipment sidelined until paperwork and delivery issues are resolved.

What committee members described

Volunteer speakers said the rural fund previously ran through a purchasing contact in the departments' offices and that when that staff member left purchasing responsibility was moved…