No ‘Kumbaya’ moment as Dover splits city fire department from Stewart Co. Fire Rescue ~ Dover, TN

BREAKING NEWS FROM TONIGHT’S DOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING…

Folks did not join hands and sing ‘Kumbaya’ tonight when the Town of Dover voted on second reading to reform its city fire department and split with Stewart County Fire Rescue.

“It’s a business move,” said Charles Parks, interim Dover City Administrator. “This is not a reflection on anyone; but some have gotten personal feelings over it.”

When the city took its vote tonight on second reading for the city to once again run its own fire department, council member Mike Pulley voted against the move. It passed three to one, with one council member, Robert Beecham, absent.

Pulley said based on the dollar figures he has heard and knowledge he has of SCFR operations, it seems Dover will be spending more money on its fire department without improving fire service to city residents.

“I don’t see a major improvement here,” Pulley said during tonight’s meeting.

Vice Mayor Jane Burkhart said the move will be a major improvement.

Officials of SCFR were in attendance at tonight’s Dover City Council meeting.

SCFR Chief Ethan Luffman and Jimmy Luffman, SCFR Assistant Chief were in attendance to provide information and answer questions.

SCFR has 52 volunteers and the City of Dover with its newly reorganized fire department is slated to have 15 volunteers.

Pulley said he sees the benefit of having a larger number of fire volunteers under the current system where Stewart County Fire Rescue serves the firefighting and rescue needs of Dover.

Some city residents were at the meeting and asked city officials for more information on the move and asked if fire insurance rates for city residents would increase with the split from SCFR.

Police Chief Dennis Honholt said rates should go down rather than up. He said after the initial startup costs, funding for the fire department should level off and be close to what the city now pays SCFR, plus there will also be a Public Safety Department for the town. He said with the hiring of one more police officer, Dover will have officers on the city streets 24/7, and that is part of the overall plan to improve public safety — police and fire — in the Town of Dover.

Honholt said Dover’s reserve police officers will serve as firefighters, but it will not just be police officers fighting fires, as some have said. The chief said Dover will have its own volunteers who will be city residents.

The city turned over its fire department to SCFR several years ago. Now the city is taking it back.

Some Dover taxpayers were not thrilled when Dover consolidated its fire department with SCFR; however, some of those naysayers now think SCFR has done a solid job and should continue handling the city fire department.

With the split between the two departments, there will be a mutual aid agreement where SCFR will come to the aid of the Dover Fire Department and vice versa in the event one needs assistance from the other.

Also, city police officers will be cross-trained as fire fighters, but they will not be the only ones fighting fires in the city, the Dover Police Chief said. The chief said there were several untrue rumors floating around about the move for the city to reform its fire department.

For the time being Stewart County Rescue Squad trucks stationed in Dover will continue to be housed and stationed in Dover.

“If we need them to move we will give them a two weeks notice,” Parks said. “They can leave their trucks there for now.”

With reformation of the Dover Fire Department, there will be a full time fire chief. Tonight the city council voted to amend the budget of the city’s fire department for the current fiscal year to the tune of $44,912 to pay salary and benefits to the new fire chief. That amount is for half of a year since the new city fire department will not begin operations until the end of the calendar year. Dover’s agreement with SCFR ends on Dec. 31, 2021.

Usually one can drive by the Dover Fire Department in the basement of Dover City Hall and see several volunteer firefighters with the bay doors open and they are attending to equipment and the trucks, including keeping them washed and maintained.

Tonight the big bay doors on the Dover Fire Department were closed and no one was around.

Dover is currently seeking volunteer firefighters.

The Stewart County Commission met in regular session right after the Dover City Council meeting and there was no mention, discussion or questions about how the move by the Town of Dover to remove its firefighting funds, equipment and manpower from SCFR will impact the entity which provides fire and rescue services to Stewart County and receives funds from the county.

It is unclear now how the move by Dover will impact SCFR.

(As for the ‘Kumbaya’ reference in the header, when folks sing that song it is usually in the spirit of cooperation and friendship. There were no open hostilities tonight or even close, but I did notice a slight chill in the air ….. this statement is an opinion of mine, not necessarily a fact …. )

Fire Departments in Dover and Stewart County have been effective and have no doubt saved lives and property. They both have been political footballs at times. That is not an opinion. That is a fact ….. More on that later … stay tuned …

This story will update …..

Story and Photos by David R. Ross — LBLUS.com