Bill to ease budget stress on Franklin County Firefighters

  • Source: WZDX-TV Huntsville
  • Published: 05/26/2016 08:15 PM

Tharptown fire chief has a list of things that need to be repaired. "We have a grass brush truck, the motor and transmission has been out for a year. We don't have the fundings to replace that truck," Tharptown Fire Chief Douglas Coan said. But it's not just the repairs, keeping the station in service is hard enough. "We're struggling just to stay above water," Coan said. And this is the same story for most volunteer fire departments across Franklin County. Right now only a small portion of residents pay a membership that would cover each department expenses. "Only about a third of our residents pay for this membership. And it's just a very hard struggle to balance the books," Coan said. There is a bill that would offer a solution for volunteer fire departments like Tharptown. But voter have to approve paying a fire service fee. "It does sort of ease for the burden that they have now. Trying to figure out their going to pay to keep the lights on and how they are going to pay their equipment there,"John James, with the Fire association, said. If Tharptown equipment doesn't get fixed. "We have a thermal imaging camera that went out," Coan said.



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