Hart: volunteers resigning ‘has not caused problems’
We lost six or eight good firefighters. Some of those who resigned have not answered a fire call in four years or more. — Banks County Board of Commissioners chairman Gene Hart
BY ANGELA GARY
The majority of Banks County’s volunteer firefighters resigned last week, but board of commission chairman Gene Hart said this has not caused any problems.
Hart said the paid EMA/firefighters are in place and have handled all calls since the volunteers stepped down. He added that surrounding counties and cities have agreed to assist Banks County, if needed.
“No, it has not caused any problems,” Hart said. “We are fully staffed with paid EMA/firefighters…We still have fire protection. The ambulances are ready.”
Hart said that 33 firefighters turned in a letter of resignation at last Tuesday’s BOC meeting.
“Five on that list weren’t even volunteers,” he added. “…We lost six or eight good firefighters. Some of those who resigned have not answered a fire call in four years or more…We did not lose the first paid person.”
As of last week’s BOC meeting, only eight of the firefighters had turned in their gear. As of press time, 18 had turned in their gear. When several firemen attempted to turn in their gear Friday night, a deputy was called to the scene. According to the incident report filed at the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, a dispute arose when a county employee told those present that they could not turn in gear for firefighters who were not present.
Since the firefighters resigned, Hart said seven or eight people have called the county offering to serve as volunteer firemen. He added that the county is also advertising to hire additional paid firefighters that will be funded through a grant.
Hart said that he has investigated allegations made by the volunteer firefighters.
“I have looked into every issue that has brought to my attention,” he said. “Most of the ones that have been brought up that we were in violation was prior to him (Gary Pollard) becoming chief.”
Hart said the allegations that a convicted felon were hired are not true. He said a former inmate at the Alto Correctional Institute was hired but that she was in jail on misdemeanor charges and not felony charges. He said she had served on the correctional institute’s fire department.
As far as the allegations that a trained house fire was illegal, Hart said that the state fire standards officials said the only thing that was done wrong was that the county didn’t fill the paperwork out correctly. He added that the county also needs to send two people to get asbestos training and that this will be done.”
