Rural fire departments urge HCDA to preserve rural fund for smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors

Representatives from local rural fire departments asked the HCDA on April 28 to ensure funding for a state-supplied smoke-detector program continues as the county enters its budget season.

Sammy Morton of the New Union Fire Department and Michael Hawkins, assistant chief with Summitville Fire, told board members the program has saved lives and that New Union installed about 22 household detector packages in the past year. "We're taking old ones down," Morton said, adding that detectors come with a roughly 10-year life cycle and that the state supplies the devices.

The nut graf: department leaders sought assurance that rural-designated funds — not the general fund — will remain available for the program and raised a separate question about whether rural money can be banked for larger capital projects, such as a new fire station for North Coffee. Morton said the detectors are paid from rural money and that historically the program began during COVID to help volunteer departments that could not fundraise.

Board members and presenters described operational details: the state ships detectors in batches (one speaker said his department orders 120 at a time), some residents request installations and not all households participate, and carbon-monoxide detectors are being added to the distribution. Hawkins said the state provides the devices and shipments can face supply delays; departments keep installation and ordering records.

Beyond the detector program, speakers listed equipment needs and lifecycle concerns. Morton said turnout gear is approaching a 10-year life cycle, with several more sets due for replacement in about two years, and recounted a prior upgrade from an antiquated cascade system. Departments emphasized that rural money has typically been used for equipment purchases (air packs, turnout gear) and not for debt service or land purchases.

Several members asked whether the county can "bank" rural funds to accumulate for multi-year capital projects; presenters said budget-and-finance previously resisted banking and that if funds are allocated they commonly must be spent in the same fiscal year. HCDA staff agreed to notify departments about when to appear before the county's budget-and-finance committee for further discussion.

The meeting did not include a formal vote on changing the program or the funding rules; presenters asked the HCDA to support maintaining the rural funding source and to clarify policies on multi-year capital use.