Tyler

By MALENA OGLES
Staff Writer

Smith County volunteer fire departments wanting to improve services through Emergency Services District No. 2 funds are finding that they need to expand their fire stations before purchasing new equipment.

At Thursday’s meeting of the ESD No. 2 board, Bullard Volunteer Fire Department Chief Keith Newburn requested the board approve $55,000 to expand Station No. 2 on County Road 1174 because new fire trucks will not fit into the older stations.

Newburn and other volunteer fire chiefs told the board more modern fire equipment and trucks are larger and, therefore, they need a larger place to store them.

“We can park the truck in the station, but we can’t get the door closed,” Newburn said.

Bullard VFD also requested $140,000 to purchase land by Station No. 1 to use in training.

Bullard VFD plans to put up 20 percent of the funding from their savings, and the remainder of the funding will be paid for at a rate of $1,310 a month for 240 months. The total cost of the two projects is estimated at $195,000.

“We must expand our station No. 2 … to enable it to house a larger fire apparatus which is called for by ISO and National Fire Protections Association,” Newburn stated in a letter to the board.

Newburn said all the changes he has proposed were recommended by Mike Pietche, an ISO expert who performed an audit on each of the departments this year on what changes the departments needed to make to reduce their ISO rating.

The board approved both purchases, but reminded Newburn and the other chiefs to stay within their current budgets.

The board also approved Troup VFD $80,000 for the down payment on a new fire truck, and $7,600 for the purchase of land to expand an existing fire station. The department said it is unable to fit new trucks in its old station.

Board member Sara Maynard abstained from voting, because she said she did not know enough about the purchase.

Other approved budget items include:

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$7,136 for personal protective equipment for Arp VFD to replace old equipment that was damaged by heat;

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$3,550 for Dixie VFD’s purchase of an ice maker used in firefighter rehab that will be used to supply ice for two stations;

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$6,000 for Troup VFD attorney fees;

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$60,000 advance to Arp VFD to reduce the debt on a new fire truck.