Recent Comments in Community
catvoterComments: 100 Joined: 08/10/2007 |
05/15/2008 06:20:55 PM
Outsider, it is good to remember those days and the men that helped it work.Today with about 65,000 residents (less than 15% in FO), Catoosa County has changed. Not all for the better, but changed. The volunteers at both the Post and Catoosa are fantastic, dedicated firemen that we all depend on for our lives in an emergency. Unfortunately their leaders, all three Chiefs, are more caught up in the political turf battles than even the elected officials of the County and both cities. Certainly the elected officials of the County do not know how to fight fires, and they don't claim to know. But I wish those three Chiefs would stop thinking they know how to run the County and just fight the fires. If you have followed the FO issues over the past several years you must be able to see the lack of respect due FO in their management skills of City Managers, Police Chiefs, City Attorney, Mayors, and on and on. FO can't even manage their 15% of the County and they get no respect from the other 85% of the County people. The County is starting their plan and goal to get the entire County to an ISO 3. The County seems to have bought all the equipment, why wouldn't the County want to control their own destiny on the deployment of the manning and equipment? The County runs the whole 911 system. The County supplies most of the funds for the expansion of the water system. The new Chief Nichols has the stripes and experience to lead the County. The County Manager Helton picked him and along with the County finance guy, can build a very good organization. Like most growing metropolitan areas Catoosa County will be headed to a full time fire department down the road 10-15 years. Maybe in one or two years if the Chiefs keep messing around. People just can't volunteer like they used to with the full time jobs they have now. Fire fees will be coming. $25 per year in the 70's was very reasonable then, and even $100 to $150 per year now would be reasonable per household. Today that would bring in over $2.5 to $4.2 million per year. That would pay for at least 60-100 full time firemen, depending on salaries and benefits. Wouldn't that do a lot to take the whole County to a Class 3? The Chiefs seem to like to spread the fear that changes from a Class 3 to a Class 5 in the Post areas will cost $100 to $200 more in insurance per year. Then in the future when most of the County goes from a Class 5 to a Class 3, all those households will be saving more money in insurance than a fire fee may cost them. What worked when the County was 15,000 and good men like you referenced could work together, may be history. Today with 65,000 people and growing, the County leaders need to start the Plan that will take us to the next level. The system WAS and IS broken. The County is on the right track. With or without the three Chiefs. Morally the Chiefs need to follow the lead of the new Chief Nichols with respect. If not respect for their elders, then respect for their betters. Outsider, it is good to remember those days and the men that helped it work. |
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Outsider Comments: 4 Joined: 05/15/2008 |
05/15/2008 10:44:44 AM
I have been trying to remain informed about what is going on from a distance and I am now just plain bumfuzzled. I was a member of PVFD a long time ago and am now halfway across the country. The PVFD supported itself by selling contracts to residents and businesses that wanted to insure that the fire department had the equipment to put our their fires. I don't remember what the commercial contracts cost, but the residential ones were $25.00 per year which was a bargain even at the time. The rest of the operating budget of the department came from a little FO City support and fundraisers done by the firemen. Ther firemen, back in the 70's and 80's anyway, did BBQ's and raffled lawnmowers and did all kings of stuff to raise money. Did you know that the PVFD men actually paid for and built the original City Hall that housed the Police, Fire, Courts and other city offices and when it was finished, sold it to the city for $1.00? Did you know that at one time when PVFD had stations in Walker and Catoosa counties that they were one of the largest volunteer fire departments in the country? You would not have believed the respect recieved from other departments throughout the South and the citizens as well. Local people as onlookers at fires would say "Oh, here comes F.O., the fire will be put out now." Until I started reading about the county wanting to take over the PVFD, everything I read about FOFR/PVFD was holding true to the legacy that people such as Reuben Satterfield, Harold Cook, Luther Nicholson and many, many other leaders and founders of the city originally set in motion. The fact that FOFR has a 3 ISO rating just goes to show that they know what they are doing. Why are you trying to fix something that isn't broken? I know it isn't a monetary cause, it is just a political cause. The county commission wants control of one more thing. The county commission wants to leave their red headed step-child (The City of Fort Oglethorpe) high and dry wondering what happened. Look at the history people. Respect the men and women that made the PVFD and the City of Fort Oglethorpe what it is today. I can remember a time when the volunteers where respected and welcome. There has always been a rivalry between PVFD and Ringgold FD. Both toned out near the line of service, and there was a race to see who could get there first. PVFD worked with East Ridge, Rossville, Walker County and was even contracted for the City of Ridgeside and Walden's Ridge in Tennessee. Please put the politics aside and make a decision based on what is the morally right thing to do. |
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catvoter Comments: 100 Joined: 08/10/2007 |
05/08/2008 09:00:08 PM
Now we hope Ballew, Gass and Thompson will step up like good public servants and really work with the new Chief.Chief Nichols has earned the position, has the experience and deserves the respect to pull this thing together. The Commissioners did the right thing in letting Mike Helton lead this search for a Chief. It will take time. Give them all time, and hope everyone has patience. |
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FOFR818 Comments: 1 Joined: 05/07/2008 |
05/08/2008 01:17:53 PM
Thank God This is a good decision!!! |
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ptc Comments: 3 Joined: 07/03/2007 |
05/07/2008 10:38:10 PM
Thank you Lord! |
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ptc Comments: 3 Joined: 07/03/2007 |
05/07/2008 10:34:55 PM
God still answers prayer... |
fofr906Comments: 12 Joined: 07/01/2007 |
05/07/2008 09:51:24 PM
County finally made a good decision............... |
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catvoter Comments: 100 Joined: 08/10/2007 |
05/06/2008 08:52:01 PM
Time will tell if the Post comes on board. I'm doubtful that FO will ever have the sense to join a Consolidated Department.The County has a good plan that the Post should be able to agree with in the long term. The Consolidated idea is just too good an idea and too much momentum is moving in that direction. Now or later, Consolidation is the way to go. In the long term Gass can't handle the full time Chief position that is needed to lead that Consolidated Department and surely reasonable heads will prevail. Gass has the bad reputation of being an admitted felon, but most importantly Gass has a full time job with all his businesses. The County must have a full time Consolidated Chief and hopefully it will be somebody from the outside. If the County brings in an outside Chief, that should bring on the Post. Again, it's a done deal. I think the County can do very well. When the house burned on Cloud Springs Road several months ago (west of Mack Smith I think it was), the first engine on site was the County unit. Did it come from Highway 41; correct? fofire8 I also would hate to see FO miss the Consolidation now. The Post says in the News that if they go it alone they will need more money from FO. That seems to prove that the fire services for the FO residents was being subsidized by the other County tax payers. That wasn't right. FO residents need to pay their fair share for the good ISO 3 rating they have and gain the savings of better insurance premiums. |
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fofire8 Comments: 11 Joined: 07/02/2007 |
05/06/2008 12:18:41 PM
I agree in part with catvoter---consolidation id the way to go. The way to go about is the problem. ALL officials should rely on the expertise of the others involved, and include them in the process. ISO rating not withstanding, what is the best course to suit the need of improving the fire service in the county? It it usually a long and complicated act. If the way it is moving along doesn't agree with how the individual departments / commisioners believe, then it is their duty to disagree and then make consignments to go forward. Leaving FO out of the consolidation would not benefit anyone. That is why we have a democratic government---we can choose to agree or disagree at will. |
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Comments: 11
Joined: 07/02/2007
Outsider---thanks for the reminder of our history. I wished I could have seen the Post in it's heyday. The fire service has changed from the mostly volunteer particpants to career firefighters, and respect has dimished for those who remain volunteers (even from the "paid guys"). Commisioners expect cheap fire departments but don't blink at law enforcement budgets. If the county hired 60-100 firefighters, people would find a reason to complain that it was wasting tax dollars. Maybe the system worked because government officials respected fire leaders and realized that they needed each other to serve the community they represent.