News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston Mayor Curtis Hayes and Fire Chief Rocky Dial will work together to create a plan to hire two new firefighters.
MTAS Fire Consultant Dennis Wolfe recommended to the board that more full time fire fighters should be added to the payroll. Hayes said the city can no longer rely alone on volunteers.
“It was just time to review the policy, so we called MTAS and cost us no money on the study. They did a really good job and recommended more fireman, so we are going to put more fireman to work.”
Hayes and Dial asked MTAS to review the fire department after a family lost its home to a fire on July 3rd. The Proctor family said only one firefighter initially responded to the call.
“The fire department made an official report and said nothing about the gas leak, and the trouble we had putting it out,” Home Owner Arno Proctor said. “Several of the neighbors grabbed hoses and police were there before the fire truck got there.”
The Proctor family claimed the Livingston Fire Department report was inaccurate. According to the report, the house was fully engulfed on arrival. Proctor said the fire had not yet reached the kitchen in the middle of the house when emergency personnel arrived.
Wolf said the first firefighter arrived four minutes and 32 seconds after receiving the call. Proctor said the first firefighter did not arrive until about 15 minutes after the call.
Alderman Kelly Coleman said the money saved from switching to LED street lights will help pay for one new firefighter. Hayes said the fire department also has enough room in the budget to add another.
There are currently four full time firefighters serving Livingston with 15 volunteers.
