Volunteer fire departments in Navarro County are warning they may stop responding to calls due to financial constraints amid an intense contractual standoff with county officials. Demonstrating just how high the stakes are, the safety of the county’s residents is left in limbo as volunteer firefighters see their operations flicker out.
Discussing the urgency of functional funding, Navarro County Volunteer Firefighter Association President Dylan Tidwell expressed the dire situation, "There was a liability that was made present with the old contract that’s been in effect for 15 years," said. They found themselves without a net; the old contract lapsed on September 30, thrusting them into a bout of uncertainty, as reported by FOX 4 News.
The financial drought has hit firehouses, leaving them without the contractual $600 to $800 per month stipend they usually provision for essentials. For instance, as per Kim Newsom, Treasurer of the Association, the money is vital "to put fuel in your trucks, to maintenance trucks," with the stark reality being that currently, "we have a truck that’s having an engine replaced, and it’s over $15,000 for that," as per FOX 4 News.
Vice President Aaron Hogue warned in a chilling announcement, confirming that people may no longer receive help in time, "There’s no money for them to run. They can't put fuel in their trucks to go out and fight fires, to go out and help people who are sick", he said. With the Commissioner’s Court having been presented with new contract drafts, both rejected, County Judge HM Davenport candidly remarked, “I’m sure the citizens are going to be less than real happy with the situation, but there's nothing that we can do about that,” hinting at a bureaucratic deadlock taking heat, according to NBC DFW.
With November 27 seeing the Navarro County Commissioner’s Court vote on the pending contract, subject to legal modification, the ramifications are being felt at a grassroots level. "I’m very surprised that they’ll do this to their citizens of this county. This should have been handled way before our contract came up," Ron Bennett, Retreat Fire Chief, said, per FOX 4 News.
