deal gets

city nod





By Kevin Liles



MOULTRIE — Moultrie City Council says it is willing to share some personnel between the Moultrie Fire Department and the Colquitt County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association.

According to a proposal submitted to council by MFD Chief Kenneth Hannon, the city will pay 61 percent and the VFA will pay the remaining 39 percent for the salaries of a secretary, a public education officer and a training officer.

The idea surfaced when Gerald Psalmond, the CCVFA coordinator, resigned last year. Colquitt County Commission will provide $40,000 this fiscal year for funding for the position, but VFA President Billy Glass said that wouldn’t be enough.

Psalmond previously handled the duties of the positions the MFD and VFA might share.

“Since our fire coordinator quit, we haven’t had anyone to do those things,” said Glass. “Several of us have been trying to keep things going.”

The VFA will vote on the proposal next month.

Glass said that paying a portion of the positions’ salaries will cost about the same as Psalmond’s salary, which was near $40,000. More will be accomplished by having a person to fullfill the capacities of each position than having one person, such as when Psalmond was coordinator.

The VFA, which annualy contracts with the county to provide fire protection, can allocate the coordinator’s salary however it chooses, but would like the commission’s blessing. At least one commissioner expressed concern that the proposal wouldn’t work.

Although the city didn’t take any official action on the matter Tuesday, it said it would be willing to help if the county can agree to the proposal.

“We want to help, but if they don’t want our help, that’s fine. But we are interested in helping,” Mayor Bill McIntosh said.

Herndon said at last week’s commission meeting that difficulties might arise if MFD officials try to boss around county firefighters.

McIntosh said he wanted the VFA to be clear that it wouldn’t be like that.

“I don’t want them to think that it will be a top-down relationship” with the city being in charge.

Glass said the changes will significantly help the 15 volunteer fire departments throughout the county.

“We will be a lot better off as far as the training available to us, secreterial duties … because any time you stretch someone in three different directions, you can only get so much accomplished,” he said.



To contact reporter Kevin Liles, please call 985-4545, ext. 225.