LAURINBURG — Scotland County commissioners approved proposals from the Scotland County Fire Commission to improve local fire stations at the monthly meeting on Monday.
Chairman of the SCFC, Mac McDougald, presented an apparatus and funding proposal to the board. In it, he asked for different ways to utilize the Fire Tax Fund revenue, starting with a $10,000 operating increase for each fire station in the county annually.
The commissioners previously approved funding the purchase of six separate fire engines since the 5-cent fire tax was approved in 2014.
In his proposal, McDougald suggested:
“Scotland County titles the existing pumpers being replaced to the respective fire departments and the individual fire departments pay the insurance and upkeep on those trucks. Fire departments that support substations will rotate equipment being replaced into their respective substation.”
He also asked for the Fire Tax Fund to be used to pay half of the major repairs to county trucks of $1,000 or more.
When Vice Chair Carol McCall asked Patterson if the fund could sustain the new demands, he said yes.
“The fund, as of yesterday is $1,683,000,” said Patterson. “The goal of the increased fire tax was to improve our fire services and we’ve been able to replace the pumpers in all of our stations.”
McDougald and the chief of the Spring Hill Fire Department also presented information regarding the replacement of one Fire Engine for Spring Hill Fire Department (501 North).
“The Scotland Fire Commission met on June 19, 2019, to review the specifications and quote for a new Fire Engine for Spring Hill Fire Department,” added McDougald in the proposal. “The Spring Hill Fire Chief presented a bid proposal from Deep South Fire Trucks of Seminary, MS for an engine that met the required specification that Spring Hill had requested. The fire engine quote was $343,320.”
Other quotes were from Fire Connections in Rocky Mount for $348,432 and Atlantic Emergency Solutions in Fayetteville for $373,876.
The board unanimously approved the new proposal and for the fire commission to purchase the fire engine from Deep South Fire Trucks.
Patterson added one pumper is on order, another is currently being ordered. After those two are received, they will order a third.
In other business:
— The board passed a resolution for eminent domain for the water easement at the new elementary school.
— Commissioners heard a presentation from the US Census Bureau and partnered with the bureau to get a better count of citizens in Scotland County.
— McCall appointed Loretta McNeil, Frank Pallares, Teresa Morrison to positions on the Historic Properties Commission and Mike Edge was appointed to the Laurinburg/Scotland County Crime and Drug Commission.
Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or jpembrick@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
