Copper Basin Fire Department seeks meeting with county executive to clarify shelter staffing; commissioners direct interim appointment

Leaders of the Copper Basin Fire Department told the Polk County Commission on Tuesday they support having an emergency shelter at the Ducktown fire station but want a formal discussion with County Executive Robbie Hatcher to clarify responsibilities, training and liability.

"We support the county," Copper Basin Fire Chief Marty (identified in the meeting as the department chief) said, describing a July letter his board sent to the county requesting a meeting to discuss shelter operations and training. "We absolutely support public safety. Simply put, we support...the idea of a shelter being at the Ducktown Fire Station. It's in a good location."

Marty told commissioners his board reviewed the department charter and concluded that sheltering is a county function that should be handled via county agreements and, when appropriate, the American Red Cross. He said Copper Basin volunteers have staffed the Ducktown shelter for 3 1/2 years and that the department is willing to continue but believes operations can be improved with county support and formal training. "We need more training," he said, citing shelter manager training, ADA training and safety/security training as areas where volunteers would benefit.

County Executive Robbie Hatcher (referred to in the meeting by his first name and as county executive) said he had received calls about a rumor that the shelter had been shut down and emphasized there had been no official closure. He said that the commission last month passed a motion giving him authority to appoint someone to staff and run the shelter when it is open. "Robbie appoints somebody to run that center when there's an emergency until y'all get this all worked out," a commissioner said; the motion was restated and left standing in the meeting.

Commissioners and speakers discussed operational difficulties the fire department faces when staffing both emergency response and a shelter simultaneously. Marty said there have been instances in which storms required shelter openings with short notice and insufficient volunteer staffing. He said Copper Basin wants to meet with Hatcher to agree on roles, training and Red Cross engagement before refusing shelter responsibility.

At least one commissioner and multiple members of the public recommended developing a broader county emergency plan and a local community emergency response team (CERT) to provide trained local shelter staff rather than relying on volunteer firefighters. A county resident who identified himself as not part of the fire department said he preferred that volunteers not run shelters and urged the commission to empower an emergency manager to build local CERT capacity.

Clarifying details included: Copper Basin has staffed the Ducktown shelter intermittently for 3 1/2 years; the department's board sent a letter in July requesting a meeting with the county executive; the American Red Cross conducts specialized shelter training and only the county executive can sign official agreements with Red Cross on behalf of Polk County; the commission had previously authorized the county executive to appoint a shelter manager to operate the site when opened.

The commission directed Hatcher to appoint an interim person to run the shelter during emergencies while the county and Copper Basin discuss a longer-term, formal arrangement with Red Cross training and possible identification of non-firefighter local volunteers. Commissioners said they will try to schedule a follow-up meeting including the county emergency manager, Red Cross and fire department representatives to clarify expectations and training needs.

The longer discussion underscored communication gaps: several speakers said the shelter was sometimes listed as open when no staff was present and that better documented processes and recordkeeping were needed. The Copper Basin board said it accepts responsibility for the letter's tone and asked for a meeting to resolve misunderstandings.

The commission did not adopt any ordinance or formal contract at the meeting; it left an interim appointment in place and asked staff to schedule a multi-party meeting for a future session.