Residents accuse Polk County court of stripping volunteer fire department territory after fatal response delays

During public comment at the Jan. 13 Polk County Commissioner’s Court meeting, a resident alleged that the court removed territory from the Goodrich Volunteer Fire Department in October 2024, and said that dispatching changes resulted in delayed volunteer response and two serious incidents, including the death of an infant.

The commenter (identified in the transcript as Shalanda) said Livingston Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched, ‘‘did not know where they were going,’’ arrived late, and that a trained medical professional from Goodrich — less than three minutes away — was not called. ‘‘Whether that baby could have been saved or not is not the question,’’ the commenter said. ‘‘The question is, did that baby deserve the opportunity at life when there was a trained medical professional less than 3 minutes away that never got the phone call? Because y’all took their territory away.’’

The speaker urged commissioners to request an opinion from the Texas Attorney General on the court’s authority over volunteer fire department territory, saying some court members had previously said the matter should have been tabled. The commenter also alleged threats against Goodrich Volunteer Fire Department if she represented them and described the action as ‘‘official oppression’’.

Court members did not take immediate action on the allegation during the meeting; the comment was recorded during public comment and the presenter acknowledged the remarks. No official response or policy change was announced on Jan. 13.

Next steps: The transcript shows the commenter urged elected officials to request an attorney general opinion; the court did not announce formal follow-up during the meeting.