Freeport Fire Issues

[Diamond Dave]

Freeport says it needs more money from county to continue service



October 28, 2011 3:57 PM


Angel McCurdy

Daily News


FREEPORT — Homes and businesses in unincorporated areas could be at risk if the city doesn’t get more money for fire protection, Mayor Mickey Marse says.

Marse has asked Walton County officials for an additional $75,000 to fund the Freeport Fire Department. If the money doesn’t’ come though, he says he will limit the department’s calls to the city limits.

“We hate it, but we have to do this,” Marse said. “We’re in the same budget constraints as everyone else. The city and county have gotten along great, so I regret to have to do this.”

Limiting the calls to the city would cut 60 percent of the Fire Department’s runs, he said.

Marse sent a letter requesting the additional funding in July and said he has talked to Walton County Administrator Greg Kisela about the issue. He said if county commissioners do not approve funding at their next meeting Nov. 8, the cut in fire coverage will take effect.

“I’ve met with Mayor Marse multiple times and I’m recommending to the board that we approve the additional funding,” Kisela said. “Hopefully, we don’t get to some point where services are stopped. We just need the (county commissioners) to grant approval.”

The county already has given Freeport $200,000 to help pay for fire protection. If county commissioners approve the extra $75,000, it would match the city’s $275,000 to fund the department.

Residents will feel the difference in slower response times if the money doesn’t come in, Freeport Fire Chief Ben Greenslait said.

“The public’s going to suffer,” Greenslait said. “Our concerns are that the citizens of Walton County are going to be the ones that suffer. We want the right thing for the right reason.”

Chief Brian Coley with Walton County Fire Rescue said a plan has been discussed should Marse limit Freeport’s coverage.

“If it happens, the plan will be seamless,” Coley said. “We’ll move some assets and add some assets. We’ll do what we’ve got to do. The Walton County people don’t need to worry. We’re going to take care of them.”


Read more: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/freeport-44850-county-money.html#ixzz1c7SopFjk

---

Everyone in SoWal needs to review the minutes from the BCC meeting this past week. South Walton tax payers pay for Freeport and other areas (DFS) Fire Assets, yet we receive NO benefit from it. The amounts are quite significant.

Freeport purchased a $200k+ fire truck, from a loan it got from the County, since when is the county a BANK? Now they (Freeport) can't pay it. Looks like SoWal is now paying for Bailouts to poorly run and poorly managed areas north of the bay. Thanks BCC.

This is all documented in the Tuesday AM BCC meeting. Many other amusing happenings that went on there this past week.

I am a 100% supporter of public safety, so don't let the arguments of "public safety" sway you. This is typical double speak trying to justify another wrongful use of taxpayer funds in Walton County. Great work all you good ole boys (and girls).

 

[Bob Hudson]

From: Bonnie McQuiston, Walton County Taxpayers Association
Subject: Freeport ceases to service unincorporated area around Freeport
Date: October 28, 2011


I am disappointed in the Freeport City Council and Mayor Marse decision to cease fire services as of Tuesday November 1 in the unincorporated area outside city limits. I believe it is a quite drastic reaction to county commissioners not passing a funding agreement at their Tuesday October 25 meeting. It is unreasonable to expect a county commissioner to pass an agreement which they have neither seen nor reviewed. It was the Taxpayer Association’s understanding that the agreement had a good chance of coming before the commission on Tuesday but the agreement was only received by county administrator Mr. Kisela on Monday afternoon. I am sure Mr. Kisela wanted to give commissioners the courtesy of review before he asked them for approval.

I understand that Freeport had a budget to vote on. However, I would have expected Freeport to work with the county during a reasonable transition period and ensure to their satisfaction the safety of the very citizens outside the city they have been servicing with fire protection, along with the North Walton Fire department.

It was reported that Mayor Marse said the action of withdrawing fire services was simply business. Likewise, it was simply business when the Taxpayer Association requested county commissioners to exercise due diligence in developing a policy of consistency in disbursing funds to the fire departments of Freeport and DeFuniak Springs, and independent fire districts of Liberty and Argyle. To do otherwise sets a precedent for all other fire department recipients in the county to ask for more money and for loans to be forgiven, with no consistency in application. There should be equity for all.

Prior to Tuesday, the Taxpayers Association was assured that North Walton Fire responds along with Freeport to fires and to vehicle accidents in the unincorporated area of Freeport. There currently is duplication of services. The Taxpayers Association wanted to ensure that no lapse in service or risk of citizen safety would result if Freeport decided to cease service to this area. The Taxpayer Association works for fair and equitable benefits and services to all county citizens with the most efficient use of taxpayer money. With Freeport’s decision, it is my hope the county will consider transferring the $275,000 funding in the Freeport agreement to North Walton Fire District for salary increases for firefighters and to hire additional firefighters, as needed

 

[BJackson]

Bonnie, North Walton may respond to fires and vehicle accidents with ambulances but not with firetrucks unless requested by Freeport Fire. Mutual aid is usually only requested if it is a really large and involved fire. In the last year, it has been necessary for me to call the ambulance to my home two times. I lived on Bay Loop Road outside of the Freeport city limits but 5 miles away from the Freeport fire department and the Walton County Ambulance station. On both occasions, Freeport Fire Rescue arrived at my home at least 15 minutes before the ambulance.

 

[beachmouse]

The whole mutual aid situation has been an off-and-on mess in the central part of Walton County for a while now, and I suspect that we aren't hearing the full story here. My home is covered by North Bay Fire, which is almost entirely paid firefighters (and who gets about 25% of our property tax bill every year). Go about a mile east, and it's Tri-Village Fire (Choctaw Beach, Portland, Villa Tasso, Basin Bayou, etc. communities along the north shore of Choctaw bay). It's a volunteer department, and I can understand there are good reasons for it being that way.

However, it got to the point a few years back where Tri-Village's volunteers had a really horrible response time in general, and North Bay was becoming the first responder for about 75-80% of the calls and NOT the back-up if Tri-Village couldn't handle the situation on their own. Result: North Bay Fire pulled out of the Mutual Aid agreement they'd had with Tri-Village because a) legally they weren't supposed to be first on the scene and b) they were getting an increasing number of calls within their district and they needed to make sure they had someone nearby for the crash du jour on Hwy 20.

IIRC, the only reason why North Bay eventually re-upped their mutual aid agreement with Tri Village was that Walton County did indeed increase funding for Tri Village to a level that would allow Tri Village not only to be able to be first on scene in a timely manner but also live up to their end of providing mutual aid on request.

I wouldn't be surprised if Freeport was also dealing with those sorts of things with nearby volunteer districts. The population density is low, response times and iffy, and there's pressure for the folks with the better funded fire district to respond out of district as much as possible in order to be a good neighbor and all. Sometimes they can get to the point where they just have to say 'Enough!' because it's starting to impact their ability to serve their legal primary service area.

 

[Pat w]

BJackson that is NOT true! Walton County sends Firetrucks from United, Red bay or Tri-village to ANY fire in Freeport. All personal with WCFR are STATE certified Fire Fighters, the Freeport Chief IS NOT! He almost got 2 Fire Fighters KILLED by pull out their hose line while they were in a working structure fire. As for you calling the Ambulance, they come from the same place Freeport FD comes from. It may be they were on another call or coming from another call, but 15 minutes is hard to believe! When you posted on NWF dailiy news you said it was 10 minutes, so that fish is getting bigger!

 

[Pat w]

beachmouse , Tri-village is maned 24-7 by 2 full time FF's one is a paramedic and one is an EMT. All the Districts around Freeport are maned 24-7 by full time FF's. Freeports Fire Chief is NOT a Certified FF!

 

[beachmouse]

That's because Walton County stepped in a few years back with additional funding for Tri Village, which simply doesn't have the population base for paid firefighters on their own.

 

[Bob Hudson]

That's because TriVillage became a part of NWFD rather than a independent volunteer fire district.

 

[Jerry Lewis]

Interesting.

 

[Diamond Dave]

Based on recent media reports, it would seem as thought the Walton BCC "Forgave" the loan for the fire truck in Freeport. Maybe they can drive it around the South End in a PR campaign since we all paid for it. More $$$ down the drain thanks to poor managers.