This is a blog archives posting from February 5, 2014, and re-posted here as the original is unavailable due to technical issues.
February 5
Reports this Herald-Sun story[1], Durham County Commissioners will vote next week to endorse (or not) the recommendations of the recently receive fire protection study. On Monday, the Interim County Manager provided a lengthy briefing. There was also some voice disagreements by a fire chief, on points related to staffing requirement and composition of governing boards. The biggest change suggested by the study involves southern and western Durham County. In both areas, it’s recommended that the city fire department be instead contracted for fire protection.
[1] Link now broken, http://www.heraldsun.com/news/x849281197/Commissioners-mull-fire-study-s-advice
December 31
Here’s a copy of the entire study (PDF, 1.5M).
Notes and observations:
- Three county fire departments ceased ambulance operations in 2012. Bahama on December 31 of that year, and Bethesda and Redwood on June 31, 2012. Parkwood is the only county fire department that’s also an EMS provider.
- Newer apparatus is recommended, particularly for nine pieces of frontline apparatus that should be replaced. Of the 39 pieces of major fire apparatus in the five departments, eleven were manufactured prior to 1991.
- New station locations are recommended for Redwood Station 2 and Station 3, which the study cites should be “farther out” to improve their effectiveness. The study also raises the idea of a Bahama Station 4 in the northeastern corner of the county.
- See page 56 for a map showing the planned location for Durham Station 17, located just up the road from Bethesda Station 2. Don’t have any idea on timeframe, and the project isn’t listed in the latest city CIP budget document. Maybe readers can assist.
Continue reading ‘Durham County Receives Results of Fire Service Study, 2014’ »