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Mitchell County chiefs warn aging apparatus and volunteer fatigue threaten coverage; officials press for funding options
Summary
Mitchell County fire chiefs and the Mitchell County Fire Association told the board that aging trucks, expensive turnout gear and dwindling volunteers are straining response capacity and the county’s ISO ratings. Chiefs urged the commission to prioritize fire mitigation and consider financing and budget changes to preserve volunteer service.
Mitchell County commissioners heard a detailed presentation from the Mitchell County Fire Association about equipment shortfalls, staffing and insurance implications that, officials said, threaten local fire response.
"This is a need," said Josh Boone, identified to the board as president of the Mitchell County Fire Association and a local fire chief, summarizing the association's case for replacing aging apparatus and replacing turnout gear required by NFPA standards. Boone and other chiefs described a decades-old ladder truck and an engine on delivery that together illustrate shortfalls: the engine price cited was about $800,000, while a comparable ladder replacement was estimated at $1.6 million to $1.7 million.
Chiefs also describ…
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