Kingsland Fire Dept. Seeks Second Truck

KINGSLAND - The Kingsland Fire Department informed the Kingsland City Council during its regular monthly meeting last Thursday night that the department needs a reliable second fire truck but how to pay for it remains a question.Fire Chief Tevin Russell and Ronnie Taylor with the Kingsland Fire Department told the council that the department currently has just one dependable truck, and if that truck were to not start for some reason, a neighboring fire department would have to be called in, delaying the response to a local emergency.Russell said he would like to find a used fire truck in the $30,000 to $40,000 range to could serve as a dependable back-up. While some trucks are available in the $10,000 range, Russell said those usually have problems and the department ends spending about as much to make it dependable enough to put into service.Taylor did point out during the discussion that the fire department's primary truck is dependable, but there could be instances where it might not start due to a dead battery or something of that nature.Kingsland Mayor Karen Wiscaver nor council member Keith Spencer were at last Thursday's meeting, so the council did not take any kind of formal action on the matter. Recorder/Treasurer Nadriona Russell presided over the meeting in Wiscaver's absence.Wendy James, the city's office manager who keeps the city books, said the City of Kingsland nor the fire department is currently in a financial position to afford buying a second truck at this time. She and council member Linda Burns urged the fire department to begin looking at doing some fundraisers to help build a fund that could be used for that purpose.Tevin Russell answered that they are planning some fundraisers, and they have also learned that the fire department can be reimbursed for expenses when responding to a vehicle accident.He explained that the about 90 percent of Kingsland's emergency calls are for accidents rather ...