Chatham budget includes establishment of county-run fire department

Chatham County officials plan to establish a county-run fire department this summer by transitioning fire services personnel, equipment and fire stations from the current nonprofit provider.

Details of the planned transition were included in the draft 2024-2025 fiscal-year budget, which was presented to the commissioners at their meeting Friday for review purposes.

Effective July 1, the county fire department will be created with 152 employees and the transfer of all equipment from Chatham Emergency Services, according to the draft budget. The total fire department budget is reportedly $18.5 million, which includes two new fire trucks.

Commissioners were scheduled to consider a conveyance agreement with CES in which the county would pay the nonprofit almost $4.7 million over a five-year period for vehicles and equipment. However, that agreement was removed from Friday’s agenda before the meeting, as was an agreement to lease the service provider’s fire stations for $1 per year.

County Manager Michael Kaigler said on Friday that there were “still working some things out,” regarding the agreements and declined to comment further regarding the transition plan.

“When we get through with the details I will," Kaigler said.

The pending transition comes after the county entered an agreement in December 2021 for CES to provide fire protection services within the unincorporated areas the nonprofit historically served for decades. The county later implemented a fire fee to fund the services as an alternative to the subscription CES had been having difficulty collecting from property owners.

Last August, the county commission approved a resolution authorizing staff to develop and implement a transition plan to move fire protection services from CES, based on concerns about its ability to fund fire service operations without substantial budget increases, according to county officials at the time.

CES CEO Chuck Kearns was not available for comment on Friday.

The county budget is expected to be adopted on June 28 following public hearings that month. The property tax rates for the general fund, which service the entire county, and the unincorporated SSD are proposed to remain at the current rates.

Eric Curl was a Savannah Morning News reporter for 14 years. After leaving the News, he launched Savannahagenda.com, to grow awareness and engagement with local planning, zoning and development decisions, business development and community causes.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham commissioners plans to transfer fire services from private to county