Volunteer firefighters gathered at Catoosa Fire & Rescue Station 1 Tuesday night to sound off on potential plans to hire a new fire chief and consolidate the services of the two volunteer forces serving Catoosa.

Catoosa County Fire & Rescue operates from six stations while Post Volunteer Fire Department in cooperation with Fort Oglethorpe Fire Department operates from three stations in the western side of the county.

Tossed around by some commissioners in discussion for more than a year, Catoosa Board of Commissioners brought the issue to the forefront at its retreat at Red Top Mountain State Park at the end of June. County Manager Ron Brown told commissioners that he and the leaders in both volunteer organizations talked about how to consolidate. The commissioners’ discussion ended with no official vote, which is not allowed in a work session, but all gave Chairman Bill Clark a nod for County Manager Ron Brown to advertise for a full-time fire chief to oversee the consolidated departments. Brown said that day he planned to place the ad by the following Monday (July 2) in the Catoosa and Chattanooga newspapers.

However, interviews immediately following the retreat revealed that both Chief Chuck Gass of Catoosa County Fire & Rescue and Marlin Thompson, Post Volunteer Fire Department chairman, indicated that their organizations had not approved consolidation and each had only shared limited discussions with county officials about the potential of consolidation.

The response from firefighters upset by not being kept in the loop apparently prompted a revised approach by the county the next day, which Brown shared in a telephone interview. He said the county will delay advertising for a fire chief until a committee, including Chuck Gass, Fort Oglethorpe Chief Bruce Ballew, Marlin Thompson, Bill Clark, another commissioner and Brown met to talk about the process.

Around 130 people crowded into Tuesday’s gathering with approximately 20 attendees speaking in the one hour and 45 minute exchange, many drawing applause both as they spoke and sometimes when approaching the podium. Attendees on both sides of the table struggled to hear comments made initially without the aid of microphones.

Ringgold City Council members were also in attendance on Tuesday holding a special called work session.

Commissioners’ thoughts

Chairman Bill Clark confirmed to the group that the Board of Commissioners opinion is that a countywide fire service is needed and that they plan to bring in an outside fire chief.

“The volunteers will always be needed,” he said. “The chiefs will always be needed.”

When several volunteers asked why a full-time chief is needed, Clark said the county needs one person to distribute funding, equipment and personnel more smoothly around the county.

“We might as well go ahead and bite the bullet,” he said.

Commissioner Ken Marks told the group he was excited about getting their input and he wanted to clear up some rumors about the retreat. He said there was no negative talk about the departments or any discussions about firing anyone.

“A lot of you have put in many years and we are lucky to have the volunteer service we do….” he said. “ We are not stupid, we don’t have a tree that grows money.”

Commissioner Jim Emberson apologized to the volunteers saying he was given the impression that the options being considered by commissioners had been provided to the volunteers.

“We were just trying to get somebody to bring this together,” he said. “I look forward to working through this; it may be months, it may be years.”

Firefighters’ views

Catoosa County Fire & Rescue volunteer Ray Johnson said he was surprised to hear it said that volunteers were supporting the change when they had not even been asked.

“I think there should be more thought in it instead of saying this is what we are going to do,” he said. “….I think it’s too early…. A fire chief is three more paid positions.”

Catoosa volunteer Willie Wilson told commissioners, “Y’all can get up a 3 o’clock in the morning and do what we do.”

Former volunteer and Catoosa Emergency Management Director Clyde Ingle said the problem is the county does not have a plan to serve the needs of the fire services.

“You’re firefighting is covered,” he said, “the problem is you are not planning for what will happen in five to 10 years.”

He said the county needs to replace and provide its equipment regularly without depending on SPLOST. He said he supports the idea of the county having a fire commissioner rather than a chief.

“Both departments have good chiefs,” he said. “….There is not a fire department in this county that doesn’t work together.”

Catoosa Deputy Chief Jim White told commissioners that the two departments work together and fight fires as a team.

Fort Oglethorpe Chief Bruce Ballew told commissioners that he and Chief Chuck Gass provided them a plan for the future of the fire services before it spent money for a fire study that provided the same numbers they provided.

“There seems to be a perception that Chief Gass and I don’t ever talk,” he said. “The chief and I put this together. Don’t say we are not working together.

“Gentlemen we will work with you,” he added. “Nobody thinks we know what we are talking about.”

He urged commissioners not to aggravate the volunteers on either side when they have not decided what they are going to do.

“You’ve not discussed it with me,” he said.

Chief Chuck Gass said after the meeting the volunteers had an opportunity to voice their concerns.

“As a whole I think the commissioners understand the guys are not happy with the way things work,” he said.

He said he wants to sit down with commissioners and discuss issues with them directly.

“We don’t have their ear and don’t have that opportunity,” he said. “If they make a point to let us give the plan and then be receptive to it, things might be a lot different.”

One Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue volunteer told commissioners instead of putting the cart before the horse, they need to be listening to the volunteers and see what is needed.

“There is a lot of talent, a lot of pride in this room,” he said.

Public comments

County resident Joanne Simpson said she doesn’t see the need for the change.

“Who can afford this kind of thing?” she asked.

Ringgold resident Jim Powell told commissioners he wonders what the county will do when the SPLOST, special-purpose local-option sales tax, runs out.

“The taxpayer will fit the bill,” he said.

Fort Oglethorpe resident Ronnie Cobb, a member of the Fire Study Committee created three years ago, asked commissioners why they seem to be throwing away that committee to form yet another one disregarding a $19,000 fire study conducted by the University of Georgia.

“You need to follow through with that before you invent another wheel,” he said.

Ringgold Vice Mayor Bill McMillon told commissioners that he didn’t see any problems with the two departments. He said that several years ago, the county asked for Ringgold to combine its fire department with the county yet the city continues to provide equipment and purchase vehicles for use both in the city and county.

He said he doesn’t see a need for a new chief; he suggested using that money to pay for more firefighters.

“Let’s leave a good thing as it is,” he said.

A final thought

Commissioner Dewayne Hill stayed after the meeting speaking with firefighters individually for another 45 minutes.

He said commissioners need to coordinate with the fire chiefs and develop the five to 10-year plan Clyde Ingle suggested.

“We’ve got to have that plan in place,” she said. “We are looking for ways to help the firefighters.”

He said the decision to hire a full-time fire chief is “not set in stone.”