HOUSTON COUNTY: This morning the Fire/EMS Task Force appointed by the Houston County Commission met at 10:00 AM in the Dothan – Houston County Emergency Management Office.
The Task Force Chairman is Dothan – Houston County Emergency Management Director Mark Powell. At the beginning of the meeting EMA Director Powell stated to the task force members an appointment was made on July 22, 2024 to in 12 months to present a plan or plans to the Houston County Commission concerning Fire and EMS across Houston County.
THIS TASK FORCE, BY DESIGN, IS NOT TASKED WITH OR
CHARGED WITH THE DISMANTLING OR TAKING OVER THE
CURRENT VOLUNTEER FIRE / EMS IN HOUSTON COUNTY
The purpose is to look at the big picture because volunteers are hard to find. The purpose is to look at enhanced services across Houston County, get better response times, and to help the emergency services better serve those in need.
Some have wanted to focus primarily on fire services and not EMS service. But as explained by Rehobeth’s Todd Phillips, the matter has to be a combination of fire and EMS. Phillips has developed a plan working from Rehobeth which serves Rehobeth and Taylor with full time fire and EMS. It is a dual team where the men and women working serve as EMS and fire, whichever the call is.
In Houston County, currently, 87% of the calls are EMS-related, with only 13% being fire-related calls.
Across Houston County there are some unique situations. But as EMA Director Powell explained, the Task Force is to provide to the Houston County Commission “options,” with cost and control. What is the minimum plan, maximum plan and reasonable plan. A fire plan. An EMS plan. A combined fire and EMS plan. Once the commission decides on the option most favorable, which could be none of the plans, it is then the decision of the board appointed to draft the detailed plan. The board appointed would be the governing body of the fire and EMS.
DO NOT GET ALARMED – CURRENT FIRE AND EMS
The Houston County Commission has ZERO AUTHORITY to take over the current fire and EMS stations. Houston County owns ZERO fire trucks or ambulances. A fire truck, equipped, is a minimum of $700.000 and an ambulance, equipped, is at least $250,000.
The fire and EMS stations across Houston County, are as follows: owned by a municipality – Rehobeth Fire – Rescue; Columbia Fire – Rescue; Ashford Fire; Cottonwood Fire, Cowarts Volunteer Fire. The municipal government has authority, but the Houston County Commission has ZERO control or authority.
Non-profit corporations of which Houston County Commission has ZERO control or authority:
Kinsey Volunteer Fire, Webb Volunteer Fire, Gordon Volunteer Fire, Lucy Volunteer Fire, Ashford Rescue, Pansey Volunteer Fire, Lovetown Volunteer Fire, Hodgesville Volunteer Fire, Madrid Volunteer Fire, Southern Junction Volunteer Fire, Taylor Volunteer Fire, Bay Springs Volunteer Fire, and Wicksburg Volunteer Fire – Rescue.
FOR HOUSTON COUNTY TO PURCHASE FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES
For Houston County Commission to purchase a fire truck, equipped, would cost around $700,000, each. Then they would have to construct buildings for the crews to stay in and keep the fire trucks in.
For one full-time person, the estimated costs are about $60,000 per person, with benefits.
For the Houston County Commission to purchase an ambulance, it would cost around $250,000 each. Then they would have to construct buildings for the crews to stay in and keep the ambulances in.
To have separate crews would mean the firemen would sit at the station 87% of the time with no runs while EMS would be covering 87% of the 911 emergency calls. That is the reason this plan must be a dual fire and EMS system. The Houston County Commission has ZERO choices, financially, but to sit down with all Non-Profit fire and EMS, and each municipality, and work out a true partnership. Houston County can not afford to pay for the manpower and purchase all the required equipment.
IN CONCLUSION
This task force will present to the Houston County Commission multiple options with anticipated costs. These options will be general in nature and not specific where and how many at each station across Houston County.
The specifics will be determined by a board if the commission selects a particular option.
This issue is one of importance, because volunteers are harder to come by. A topic that needs discussion and planning for the future.
In May the task force will meet with Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe. Unless the task force decides to meet in June, they will present their final plan in July to the Houston County Commission.
Here’s a further breakdown of the topics discussed:
- The need for every viewpoint and perspective to be addressed and recognized
- How plans can include both fire and EMS
- Increasing personnel without additional facilities or equipment
- The concerns on adding personnel without addressing the underlying issues
- Fairness of funding
- The need to support EMS while also considering the broad impact on the county
- The idea of having personnel certified as both firefighters and EMTs to improve response times
- Employment, as some departments want personnel to be exclusive to their department
- Programs to receive additional funding
- Having two crews in the same area, especially during peak times
