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Grappling with a hot issue: volunteer fire force

Commissioners approve a motion to ask High Point residents for a confidence vote and to take the matter to the homeowners board later.

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published September 21, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - The issue centers on fire and response times. So perhaps it's appropriate that on Tuesday, most Hernando County commissioners appeared to find the matter too hot to touch - and in no hurry to deal with it.

Consequently, the quick-fix solution the county applied to ensure High Point residents receive sufficient fire service may remain unchanged until December.

The political hot potato was High Point Volunteer Fire Department's future.

Its firefighting days appeared numbered after Sept. 9, when the retirement community's homeowners board requested the county immediately take authority for fire coverage.

Citing pressing public safety concerns, County Administrator Gary Adams agreed. Last week, commissioners ratified Adams' decision with a unanimous vote and pushed discussion of a permanent solution to Tuesday.

But faced with several dozen High Point residents Tuesday, commissioners produced no resolution. After more than 90 minutes of public comment and discussions with county staff and a state fire marshal instructor, no commissioner stepped up to push an action plan.

Instead, they tossed around some notions:

Could they audit the competence level of the aging volunteer department - which alternately has claimed it has either "one or two" personnel actually state certified to fight a fire - or could the fire marshal do that?

Should they ask High Point residents to take a confidence vote on the volunteers, though it won't matter if the department falls short of state requirements by year's end?

If the aging force follows an idea to bring in young, state-certified firefighters, does that even help because they aren't allowed to live in the 55-and-over community?

After a lengthy discussion over whether the commission needed to take any action at all, commissioner Christopher Kingsley ultimately made a motion that actually had four parts. Commissioners unanimously approved the motion to:

Ask High Point residents to hold a confidence vote on the department.

Ask County Clerk Karen Nicolai to look into performing an audit of the department.

Continue providing upgraded fire service, which gives Hernando County Fire Rescue command over High Point fire scenes and the ability to respond without requesting permission from the volunteers.

Bring the matter before the board again on Dec. 6.

The question of whether the county should take over primary fire service from High Point's volunteers has arisen on occasion over the years, most recently in February 2002.

It leapt to the fore earlier this month after a woman set fire to her Fairway Avenue home and then committed suicide.

A 20-year veteran Hernando County firefighter, Lt. Robert Rae, criticized the time it took for the volunteer fire engine to arrive and the six minutes his agency's engine was forced to wait outside the community's gate. He also contended the volunteers "have no clue" how to fight fires.

Commissioner Diane Rowden is a leading proponent of allowing professional county firefighters more control in High Point.

She noted Tuesday that commissioners in 2002 unanimously approved her motion to allow High Point (and Hernando Beach, another volunteer force) to remain outside of the county fire program "until such a time as the levels of service produced a problem with health, safety and welfare, or the residents of the area petitioned to join."

"I think both of these have now occurred," she said. "The level of service has declined since 2002."

Of the High Point residents who spoke, most pushed for the county to take control over fire coverage from the volunteers. Several noted support for the volunteers' other duties while voicing concerns about firefighting. A few supported the volunteer force outright.

High Point Assistant Fire Chief Jim Pilipchuk presented commissioners with a heated defense of his department and claimed the county used strong-arm tactics to force the homeowners board into requesting county fire authority.

"This letter, it was coerced," he claimed. "People were intimidated into signing that letter. I'm on the board. I know."

Several residents, however, expressed concern with the volunteer force. One was Ted Ross, who has lived in the 1,600-home community for three years. He said, "We now have a problem where the people providing these services are not competent."

Rick Gershman can be reached at 352 754-6117 or rgershman@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 21, 2005, 00:24:18]