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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 described recurring replacement needs and certification burdens. Boone noted turnout gear must be retired after 10 years, SCBA units have limited lifespans and newer SCBA models carry higher purchase costs. He asked the board to consider the cost pressures: ‘‘If we lose the volunteer fire service in the county, then the county has to pay somebody to be there,’’ he said, urging the board to weigh that long-term comparison.
The association linked department ISO ratings to homeowner and business insurance savings. Boone said lowering an ISO rating has local economic value, arguing that when a department moves from one rating to a better rating homeowners and businesses save on premiums and that lower ratings can be a sales point for economic development. On insurance math he summarized the local experience: ‘‘If you pay a $100 in fire tax, you save $200 in your insurance.’’
Commissioners and staff pressed for specifics on financing and timing. Speakers described options used by departments — financing through local credit unions or banks, multi-year budget planning, grants and donations, and phased equipment replacement schedules. The chiefs invited commissioners to review department budgets in person and offered to walk commissioners through cost breakdowns at regular Monday meetings.
The presentation included several concrete numbers for the board to consider: the large generator at Station One (about $140,000 cited), an automatic CPR device purchase (about $21,000 per unit), and that some grant awards and donations have helped supplement budgets. Commissioners said they would factor the fire-association presentation into upcoming budget workshops and explore financing options that avoid depleting critical county reserves.
The board did not take a formal funding vote during the presentation; commissioners asked staff to incorporate the chiefs’ cost estimates and priorities into the budget process and return with more detailed cost and financing options.
Ending: Commissioners invited the fire association to provide a written three- to five-year equipment and training plan for inclusion in budget deliberations; staff said they would work to include those figures in the county budget workshops this spring.
