After a narrowly failed fire levy in the most recent election, an official with the Marion County Firefighters Association fears some of the local volunteer fire departments may have to close their doors due to financial restraints.
The levy, which would have provided funds for the county’s 13 volunteer fire departments, received 59.21 percent of voters support, but needed 60 percent to pass.
Barry Bledsoe, president of the Marion County Firefighters Association, said that levy was deeply needed.
“We’ve got departments that are just struggling to provide the service that the public deserves, and truthfully besides the money issues, almost every department in the state is struggling with manpower issues,” Bledsoe said. “It’s just hard to ask firefighters to go out all times of the day and night, all kinds of weather, plus do the training, attend the classes that we need to attend, maintain the trucks, conduct the business but yet still say, ‘Hey you need to sell some hot dogs or stand in the road with a boot to get us a few extra dollars to put gas in the truck.'”