Fire marshal lists annual inspections and rebuts recent accusations at Polk County meeting

Mr. Fugate, identified in the meeting as the county fire marshal, presented annual statistics to the court and addressed recent public accusations about response conduct. He said the office recorded 449 calls for service last year, performed 72 life‑safety inspections, reviewed 27 sets of plans, inspected 23 fireworks sites and investigated 85 fire cases. He reported $5,460 in fireworks‑permit revenue and $10,284.78 in revenue from plans reviews and inspections.

Fugate said the numbers reflected a mix of fire responses, inspections, and education and asked the public to exercise care when making accusations. "I'd like to address the recent allegations that the fire marshal and the commissioner's court are making decisions on fire protection without having our citizens best interests in mind," he said. Fugate defended the local volunteer fire departments and other first responders and called false accusations that responders did not do their jobs "disturbing." He specifically said such claims compounded pain for a family that had lost a child.

The court discussed a prior public comment in which a speaker identified as Mr. Epstein spoke on behalf of the Goodrich Volunteer Fire Department; court members clarified that Goodrich is categorized as a non‑licensed department and cannot respond to medical calls. Commissioners emphasized the county's support for volunteers and first responders.

No formal disciplinary or policy actions were taken at the meeting; the marshal's presentation was informational and received thanks from the court.