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Fire chiefs ask Hickman County for a fivefold boost in volunteer-fire funding
Summary
Kevin Baxter, representing the county's five volunteer fire departments, told commissioners the county's $156,000 contribution (about $6 per resident) is inadequate and asked for $475,000 (about $18 per resident) to cover gear, training and aging apparatus; commissioners did not vote on the request.
Kevin Baxter, fire chief at East Hickman Fire and the speaker for the Hickman County Fire Association, urged commissioners to increase funding for county fire protection. Baxter said last year the commission allocated $156,000 to be divided among five volunteer departments (about $6 per resident), and he asked the commission to increase that amount to $475,000, which he characterized as a conservative minimum equating to about $18 per resident.
Baxter outlined cost pressures: volunteer onboarding and turnout gear cost about $20,000 per firefighter (gear, air packs, protective equipment), fleet maintenance for aging apparatus (he said the department's best truck is 24 years old and another cited truck was 40 years old) and routine operational costs such as fuel and equipment testing. He noted that grants are limited and often require matching contributions.
"The volunteer fire service is a cost-saving mechanism," Baxter told the commission, "but that cost-saving mechanism is not free." He added, "What's a life worth? 18 bucks a year?" and urged commissioners to visit local stations for transparency on how funds are spent. An exchange noted a larger figure on the packet (a number near $633,000 appeared) but Baxter said he presented a conservative $475,000 proposal as a starting point.
Baxter also raised training and safety concerns and referenced a county resolution (18-15) and state practices, noting that Hickman County is among counties that do not require minimum firefighter training. He said local chiefs have nevertheless adopted minimum training standards. Commissioners asked clarifying questions but took no immediate action; the item will be considered in the upcoming budget deliberations.
