LaGrange would eliminate its fire station on West Lukken Industrial Drive and take over the county’s station at LaGrange-Callaway Airport if the plan is approved by City Council. The coverage area would include 1,200 parcels in the unincorporated area on Whitaker, Fling and West Point roads.
The Mountville station would become a volunteer station and its paid personnel moved to the new station around Callaway schools. The Mountville station would be available for community use, County Manager Mike Dobbs said, adding, “We want to make sure Mountville has a strong and vibrant volunteer force.”
“This would not affect insurance rates in the area” and the station could still provide mutual aid to Meriwether County, he said.
Two firefighters that had been included in this year’s budget would not be hired, and another position would not be filled. The savings would allow a five-year payback on the new stations, Dobbs said.
When the plan was discussed Friday, it didn’t include any fire improvements around the Callaway schools. Commissioner Buck Davis objected and the committee, comprised of commissioners Morris Jones and Ken Smith, met again to resolve Davis’s concerns.
Commissioners said the issue highlights the importance of creating a joint planning commission with the school system’s participation.
“We’ve got to get out of the business of chasing schools,” said Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe. “Schools are built, and we come in after the fact and provide services.”
Wolfe said Hogansville and the school system already have endorsed a joint planning commission and he will speak on the topic Thursday in West Point.
Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@ lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.
The article hypes the building of a new station on Long Cane Road, but fails to mention that we are actually LOSING one of our manned stations. Mountville will be moved to a new station between the Callaway schools, and the actual Mountville station will now be volunteer. The Reed Rd station in West Point is closing, and relocating to Long Cane Rd. But, the airport station will not be replaced!
West side residents (those of you who are not going to be annexed by the revenue hungry city), do you realize that your response times are going to be much longer now that the airport station will be part of the city? Those of you who live in the Newton Rd, Teaver Rd, Upper Glass Bridge Rd area, you need to let your commissioner know this is NOT acceptable! Mountville residents, you have to speak up as well!
Unfortunately, there is no one in our current group of commissioners who will speak up for best interests of the residents of this county, its all politics as usual. Someone is getting their back scratched in all this, but its sure not the taxpayers.
I'll be sure to remember that when it comes time to cast my ballot.
A Troup County Fire crew already arrives on scene long before an ambulance in over 80% of Troup County. If you were concerned about those children, you could have asked to have ambulances spread around the unincorporated area rather than stationed only inside the City limits of LaGrange.
Not long ago there was talk of moving the Mountville Station to the intersection of 109 and Towns road to improve response times to a larger number of homes (read taxpayers), now, buildings that are occupied 8 hours a day for 8 months a year will be covered while communities suffer.
Politicians spent the equivalent of 2 fire fighter's pay on concrete flower pots for the government center. Do we really want these people choosing station locations based on donated property?