Robert Huckaby of the Meansville Fire Department holds the station’s recent re-certification.
Meansville will retain city fire department
Meansville city council members voted not to join the county fire department by a 4-1 vote at the June 13 meeting after an executive session.
What do they offer the county for what we will pay? In reading the paper and talking to people who have the information, the county will pay Meansville $5,000 to honor a mutual aid agreement. Why? The City has said time and time again that the new truck (paid for by a county-wide tax) will not leave the city limits. That leaves an antiquated fire truck and an antiquated truck on loan from the Forestry Department. Neither work well nor do they have equipment that will do any good on a fire.
What does Meansville pay US for mutual aid? It seems that we provide them fire, rescue, and medical services for free. Yes, the citizens pay taxes, but there is no mutual aid fee. Spalding County and Griffin have a mutual aid agreement. There is no cost associated with it by either party. They just work together. They cooperate. Why does Meansville want or need money? If they cannot budget enough funds for their fire department, the City should raise taxes to pay for it. That is what any other municipality would do. My tax money should not need be spent.
$5,000 could be a big amount to our fire department and what they do for the rest of the taxpayers. Their budget has been cut for many years. No one cares about the things they have to have. The number of people who understand that should be a lot higher.
If Meansville cannot maintain a proper budget then they should face reality. The people who run the place have to be responsible enough to see that. They should look again at the county's offer to fund and operate their fire department as any other county station. Sometimes reality is a hard pill.
Meansville is a small, irresponsible municipality run by people with no knowledge of running such an operation. I or any other taxpayer should pay for what they lack. No property owners should have to worry if they are protected or not. Their insurance premiums should not be higher.
Instead of flushing money down the toilet that is Meansville, the county manager and the commissioners should realize they have to do something unpopular. They have to build a new fire station and put trucks in it to properly protect this county. If they do not, it is them who should be held accountable for every dollar of loss and each drop of blood.
1) They do not run calls inside or outside the city. In a year they have run one or two total. An open records request with 911 will show what they have done as opposed to how many times a county truck has gone to their rescue.
2) Listen close to your scanner and tell others to do the same. Meansville's call sign is station 4. The firefighters there use four numbers, like 401, 402, 403. You will not hear them very often.
3) Listen for their trucks. The old pumper truck is 4-0, the new pumper is 4-1, and the Forestry truck is firetruck 4-2. The only truck you will hear go out is 4-2.
4) Meansville has a history of not honoring mutual aid agreements. In the past they have run calls with firetruck 4-2 but used a call sign of an engine. Imagine the surprise when a Forestry truck shows up a house fire instead of an engine!
Those are the facts. General Ron cant even lie and try to make them right.
I agree the county should incorporate Meansville Fire Dept. into the county unified system for the betterment of fire protection of both city and unincorporated Pike County but, I just don’t see it happening any time soon.
Does he hang out in the Meansville station?
Bless you.
Poor farfighter barely kept his hoseline fed,
Then one day he was cipherin' at a pump panel,
and out of the taxpayers come a bubblin' SPLOST,
sales tax that is,
wasted on a truck,
never sees the light of day,
garage kept,
soon to be museum piece...."
"We done fooled 'em (ISO and the citizens) again, Uncle Jed!!!", said Lt. Jethro.
Some do, others only on profess to; CHECK THE STATS.
"If Meansville is getting a better ISO rating by remaining an individual department, then the citizens in the city will benefit from lower insurance costs and more power to them."
That's true as long as all information presented to ISO is up front and honest including mutual aid agreements (bet they don't know about that one yet, or do they?), responses by members, and equipment on available on trucks EVERY DAY. AGAIN, some of us know what the reality is while others such as yourself haven't a clue and will not believe it until they/you see it with your own eyes...OPEN RECORDS REQUEST the FACTS and see for yourself. Until then you should not speak from an uninformed position.
SHAMEFUL is a word that should be used when people misrepresent their qualifications, abilities, dedication, and professionalism.
SHAMEFUL is a word thet should be used when people use their title or rank, unearned through experience or knowledge, to lure their elected leaders down a path leading to self-destruction just so that they can keep their bugle(s) that have been earned by nothing more than self-aggrandizement and the sad reality that before now, no one else could be found that could do the job at a level deserved by the people paying for the service.
THANK YOU to all the PROFESSIONAL (not to be confused with paid) volunteers that serve our county. Please continue your selfless dedication to ALL of Pike County's citizens. For those who like to play politics and serve themselves, SHAME ON YOU.
To the City of Meansville - if my house catches fire and all county units are busy....STAY IN THE HOUSE (as if there is another possibility), me and my 5/8" garden hose will at least RESPOND!
Fire him! He can go back to his house in Ellaville and collect unemployment there.
Who is Steve Barron?
Rumor has it "comcord smoke jumpa" wants to have his chance at the top. If that were to happen....(LOL) he would be there less than a week before I spanked him out of office.