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From www.savannahmorningnews.com

Web posted Friday, August 18, 2000

  
Photo Caption - The Clyo Fire Department, headquartered in this two-bay fire station, receives the smallest share of Effingham County's fire and rescue fee, which is based on the number of homes served. Although Clyo's fire district is large geographically, the region is not as heavily populated as other areas of the county. Fire chief Ryan Morris says it's hard to pay insurance, buy new equipment, and keep firefighters equipped in turnout gear on the $24,465 the department expects to receive this year. Photo by Charles Cochran/Savannah Morning News

Four fire departments ask to join county  
- By Charles Cochran  
- Savannah Morning News  

When the Effingham County Commission enacted a $35-per-home fire and rescue fee in 1994, it brought an end to the barbecue dinner fund-raisers that the county's nine volunteer fire departments had traditionally used to help buy trucks and outfit firefighters.
Now, four of those fire departments say they'd like to form a county fire department, a move they believe would let them use the money more efficiently.
The Clyo, North Effingham, Faulkville and Meldrim departments occupy four of the bottom five spots in a ranking of how much each department gets from the fire protection fee.
Fire fees are distributed based on house counts, so fire departments in less densely populated areas don't get as much money to pay for fuel, insurance, and equipment.
The Clyo Volunteer Fire Department has a large district geographically, but it only serves 699 homes -- the fewest in the county.
That means Clyo's fire department receives the smallest share of the county fire protection fee -- about $24,000 over the coming year.
Chief Ryan Morris says that's enough to cover costs, but not much else.
"When we finish paying our bills, we usually don't have the funds left to buy the equipment we need to maintain our ISO rating (used to calculate homeowners' insurance rates in the area)," Morris said.
By comparison, the Rincon Volunteer Fire Department -- topping the list, serving 2,753 homes in the county's most heavily populated fire district -- will receive $96,355.
Paul Wendelken, a captain in the Rincon department, proposed that several departments may want to consider merging.
"I don't think we need nine entities, but maybe four or five entities handling fire protection," Wendelken said.
Wendelken said he believes the system for distributing the fire fee is fair. "The last time I checked, we all got $35 per house. If Rincon gets more money than someone else, it's because we have more structures to protect than someone else," he said.
The North Effingham Fire Department will pay more than $5,000 for insurance out of a $25,000 budget for the coming year.
Part of the money will outfit firefighters with turnout gear, which costs $750-850 per person.
Then there's fuel, equipment, and fire truck maintenance.
"We have enough money to survive, but not to expand or become better equipped than we are now," said Assistant Chief Jeff Utley.
The County Commission agreed Tuesday night to study the idea of creating a county fire department. Assistant County Administrator Rick Gossett said Thursday he will make a recommendation to commissioners, possibly as early as the commission's Sept. 5 meeting.
County officials say they'd have a hand in putting together each department's annual budget, but that they'd leave day-to-day management to the volunteer chiefs and firefighters.
Fire fee ranking
Each of Effingham County's nine volunteer fire departments gets a share of the county's $35-per-home fire and rescue fee, based on how many houses it serves. Over the coming year, the county's 11,575 houses will generate about $405,000.
The Clyo, North Effingham, Faulkville and Meldrim departments want to form a county fire department. They believe they'd get cost breaks on fuel, supplies, and other necessities.
Below, a ranking of departments, the number of houses they serve, and each department's share of the fee this year:
* Rincon, 2,753 houses, $96,355
* Guyton, 1,774 houses, $62,090
* South Effingham, 1,577 houses, $55,195
* Springfield, 1,453 houses, $50,855
* Meldrim, 971 houses, $33,985
* Faulkville, 920 houses, $32,200
* North Effingham, 719 houses, $25,165
* West Effingham, 709 houses, $24,815
* Clyo, 699 houses, $24,465

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