Haskell County firefighters press commissioners for clearer emergency coordination after large wildfire

Jack Denny, chairman of the Haskell County Firefighters Association and chief of the Brooklin volunteer fire department, told the Haskell County Board of County Commissioners that a recent windstorm and fire left the county short of communications and coordination and that the county must update planning and support for volunteer departments.

Denny said the windstorm on the 14th burned “about right around a thousand acres, 9 structures, and there was a fatality.” He described a multi-agency response that included 14 departments from two counties, three units from the Choctaw Nation forestry division and three units from the U.S. Forest Service, and said communications failures hampered the response.

“The sheriff's office was completely down,” Denny said. “Their dispatch was strictly via phone, I believe, and telegram.” He said the county’s South Tower repeater — used by the sheriff’s office and fire departments — was destroyed by an electrical fire and that the North repeater in Whitefield provided only limited coverage for the affected southern and eastern areas.

Why it matters: firefighters said the communication and coordination gaps made it difficult to find and reach some residents during the fire and complicated damage reporting to state and federal agencies. Denny urged the board to clarify responsibilities so volunteer departments and incident commanders know whom to contact and what the emergency manager is expected to deliver after major incidents.

Denny asked the commissioners for three things: (1) a written list of the emergency manager’s day-to-day duties and points of contact; (2) a current hazard-mitigation plan aligned with the state; and (3) an up-to-date countywide Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). He said volunteers need clarity because the county-level emergency manager “works for you,” meaning the board of county commissioners, and that unclear lines of responsibility create liability risks.

Denny described problems getting incident information into the state and FEMA processes. “In order to put a report in with the state for a disaster in your county, you have to have all the details. I'm the one that has the details,” he said, and added that he had not been contacted to provide those details. He said that without a consolidated report it may be difficult to reach thresholds for state or federal disaster declarations.

The firefighters also asked the board to consider funding a propane-powered generator for the South Tower repeater to restore reliable radio communications if the tower goes down again. Denny said county fire departments voted to pursue a shared generator and that preliminary estimates put the cost at roughly $56,000. He said departments intended to split the purchase but asked whether county funds or other sources might be available to avoid asking volunteer departments to front the full cost.

Denny said county fire departments will take short-term steps — such as paging storm spotters countywide and assigning incident-command decisions locally — but stressed that long-term expectations and support from the county must be clarified. “We just need to know what to expect when we go to those situations,” he said.

Board response and next steps: Commissioners did not adopt any formal resolution on the requests during the public comment portion of the meeting. During discussion later in the meeting one commissioner suggested the board consider using part of the county’s quarterly Choctaw contribution to support the repeater generator; the suggestion was offered for future consideration rather than as an immediate appropriation.

The chief’s remarks included specific operational and reporting concerns for future incident management, and he requested that the county emergency manager or staff follow up to confirm what the county will provide and what volunteer departments must supply. Denny said departments will continue to provide immediate operational support, but that county-level coordination and updated plans are needed to reduce risk and to ensure state and federal reporting and assistance for future large incidents.

Ending note: The firefighters’ requests center on clarifying official duties, improving communications infrastructure and ensuring accurate incident reporting to state and federal agencies. The board did not record a formal action on those requests at the meeting; commissioners and department leaders indicated the matters would be discussed further at a future meeting or during staff follow-up.