Macon County delays suspension of Burnetown volunteer fire department, keeps unit on extended probation

The Macon County Board of Commissioners heard an extended update on the Burnetown volunteer fire department on Aug. 1, including county inspection findings that flagged incomplete training records, missing background checks for some new members and inconsistent roster reporting to the state. County fire services staff said the department’s inspection counts fluctuated — inspectors reported 16 eligible firefighters at one check while the department’s roster reflected more — and that not all members' training and state roster entries were up to date.

County fire staffer Jimmy Ting, who led the update, said inspectors found gaps that affect eligibility for state benefits and safe response: “They could not produce the state roster and there were members not eligible for state benefits,” Ting said during the presentation. Ting and other staff also described a planned scene‑setup drill that could not be completed because a medical call drew off personnel; staff argued the drill would have demonstrated whether the department could operate independently.

Burnetown’s leadership acknowledged progress and defended recent recruitment and training efforts. The department’s chief said the unit had added new members and worked to update reports and training records after the inspection. “We’ve been training real hard and recruited real hard during the past two and a half months,” the chief told the commissioners, noting new members were nearing required training hours.

Commissioners pressed on response reliability and communications. Members and volunteers described missed paged calls related to coverage and noted that parts of the district have intermittent cellular service. County staff said a temporary paging tower and other technical measures are being tested to reduce missed pages.

A motion from a commissioner to suspend Burnetown’s contract was seconded but failed on the board floor (recorded outcome: motion failed, board tally recorded 2–3). Rather than terminate the contract, commissioners directed staff and the department to continue on probation, asked for monthly written updates that document roster numbers, drill completions and corrected reporting, and discussed options such as a phased merger or contract transition if the department cannot sustain minimum requirements. Several commissioners emphasized they were not seeking to remove volunteer stations but must ensure coverage and resident safety. The board advised staff to work with adjacent departments about automatic second‑page protocols and mutual‑aid arrangements to ensure there is no gap in coverage while probation continues.

Next steps: the board asked for monthly progress reports and for staff to return with a suggested checklist the department must meet to come off probation, including evidence of completed drills and corrected reporting to state rosters.