AROUND LEVY COUNTY


2 une 5, 2008


Levy County Journal


Fire chief gets thumbs up, another term


By Terry Witt
Staff Writer

 Chiefland Fire Chief John Ward received good reviews from his five bosses last
week during a six-month review of his performance, and city commissioners agreed
to keep him as chief.
 "I feel he's done a good job the last six months," said Commissioner Teresa Barron,
who sits as fire commissioner and works with the department.
 Commissioner Sammy Cason said from all he has seen and heard Ward is doing
well.
 "I'm just proud to have him on board," he said.
 Each commissioner was given a grading sheet before the meeting to evaluate
Ward. The evaluation sheets gave a final score. Ward's combined score from the five
commissioners ranked him somewhere between "meets expectations and exceeds
expectations."
 Commissioner Rollin Hudson said "Everything was fine," in his mind, but he said
Ward needs to work more closely with the county on securing fire tax funding.
 Commissioners have complained in recent weeks about the inequities in county fire
assessment funding, noting that Williston received $193,000 annually for the past two
years while Chiefland was awarded $120,000 annually for the same period.
 The Levy County Commission assesses residents in the unincorporated areas a fire


assessment fee. The fee isn't assessed in Chiefland because the city already funds fire
services out of its general fund, but the city does receive county fire funding because
it serves a large area outside the city limits.
 Mayor Teal Pomeroy agreed with Hudson that Ward needs to be more assertive in
pressing the county for more fire tax funding, warning the fire chief, who is in his first
year, that if he is too nice, officials "will push you aside"
 Ward agreed that the county should provide more funding, going even further than
commissioners and suggesting the county fire assessment should be able to fund the
operations of all the fire departments.
 But Ward said a decision by the Levy County Commission last year to reduce the
fire assessment left the county with a shortfall in fire funding. County commissioners
were forced to take $165,000 out property tax revenues in the current budget to make
up the shortfall in fire funding.
 "The assessment should be set high enough to fund the fire departments," Ward
said.
 Commissioners also want Ward to press the county to fund the Chiefland Fire
Department for responding to calls unrelated to fighting fires. The department often
responds to traffic accidents and medical emergencies as a first responder, but doesn't
get paid for the calls.
 Ward has agreed to press the county on the funding issues his bosses have
outlined.


Chiefland commission tables fire grant request;


Board concerned about future funding for city


By Terry Witt
Staff Writer

 Chiefland Fire Chief John Ward pared down his request last week for additional
paid firefighters from six to three positions, but the city commission still wasn't sold
on the idea.
 Ward wants city commission approval to apply for a federal Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that would pay a portion of the new
firefighter salaries for the first four years. In the fifth year, the city would begin paying
the salaries from city funds.
 "This grant will provide adequate staffing to provide 24-hour-a-day fire and rescue
protection for the residents of the city and surrounding area," Ward said in a briefing
letter to commissioners.
 Commissioner Sammy Cason's motion to allow Ward to apply for the grant never
received a second. Mayor Teal Pomeroy tabled the issue with agreement from the
board.
 The city currently has a full-time chief, one full-time firefighter and two part-time
firefighters, as well as volunteers, toprotect,240 square miles around the clock, Ward
said. The staffing at times allows for ony on paid staff to be available for a call. Ward
depends on volunteers when paid siaff fienibers are not on duty.
 But commissioners are not sure they can afford three new firefighting positions.
They want Ward to press the county for additional fire assessment funding that would


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help the city fund additional firefighters. The county currently receives $120,000
annually. Williston, by contrast, gets $193,000 annually. The board wants to know,
why Williston receives more.
 City Attorney Norm Fugate also reminded commissioners that the city is being
paid by the county for providing fire protection, but not for providing first response
for emergency medical services. Ward said the fire department has no choice but to
respond to medical or traffic emergencies when dispatched.
 Commissioner Rollin Hudson said he didn't think it was fair for the city to go
uncompensated for emergency medical service calls.
 Ward said the city is growing and already has large box stores like the Wal-Mart
Supercenter to protect. He said the city doesn't have the type of equipment it needs to
battle a big fire in such a large box store and depends on volunteers to meet a federal
regulation requiring two trained firefighters to enter a burning building while leaving
two firefighters outside the hazardous area to rescue them if necessary.
 Ward said the number of calls to his department is increasing. In 2005, Ward said
there were 392 calls. In 2006 the number of calls rose to 845. In 2007, he said the
number of calls reached 990.
 "Each year we will continue to see these numbers increase with the-growth to oul
are",'.he.wrote commissioners. .... -. '., , I
 'Ward saidile is asking for the SAFER grant to prevent "a tragic loss of life to both
rescuers and victims" from lack of personnel.
 He said the SAFER grant is an opportunity to eliminate the manpower problem.


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