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Residents urge board to preserve Bannertown and Franklin volunteer fire departments
Summary
Dozens of residents told the Surry County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 that closing the Bannertown and Franklin volunteer fire departments would harm public safety; the board said it would consider the comments and noted it has authority to uphold or reverse prior resolutions.
Dozens of Surry County residents told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 that the planned changes to fire service districts should not include closing the Bannertown and Franklin volunteer fire departments.
The comments, delivered during the public forum at the Historic Courthouse in Dobson, were led off by Danny Stanley and included a sustained series of speakers who said closures would reduce local fire coverage and urged the commissioners to preserve volunteer services. Several residents asked for greater clarity about how vacant fire stations would be managed if closures or consolidations happen.
The public forum matters because volunteer fire departments provide first-response coverage in parts of Surry County; residents repeatedly argued that shuttering the Bannertown and Franklin stations would increase response times and risk for homes and businesses in those communities. Larry Johnson specifically asked the board to explain plans for facility disposition and management if a station were vacated.
Chairman Bill Goins closed the public comments and, after a short recess, said the board would take the comments into consideration as it considers changes to fire-service districts. County Attorney Howard Jones told the board and the public that the board has authority to enforce previously adopted resolutions and also to reverse them, indicating legal flexibility in how any changes could be implemented.
The meeting did not include a formal vote to close either station; commissioners heard the public comments and signaled that further deliberation, and potentially staff follow-up, would be required before any formal action.
