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Ala. town ousts volunteer firefighters to start own dept

City administrators are evicting the fire department from the station after 30 years of providing fire protection

By FireRescue1 Staff

VANCE, Ala. — City officials are evicting a volunteer fire department that has been in place for 30 years in order to create a department of their own.

WIAT reported that the town of Vance is evicting the firefighters from Station One and giving them only days to move.

“The town is bullying us just like they bully everyone else,” Chief Donnie Allen said. “It is a bad thing because they are trying to shut a fire department down and open up one themselves but they have no certification and they just can’t open up a fire department. If we pull out, then everyone on that side of the tracks is going to be without fire services.”

Vance Mayor Keith Mahaffey claimed the volunteers stopped providing services to the town, so they decided to create their own department.

“I really do feel sorry they feel that way,” Mahaffey said. “It was not our intention to make anyone feel that way. I don’t know what we’ve done to create that problem.”

Chief Allen said the town has saved thousands of dollars by creating their own department.

“Right now, I am providing fire services to everyone in the town of Vance for free that they are charging them for,” Chief Allen said. “They are taking that money to save up to get their own fire department and they aren’t even certified.”

Chief Allen said he plans to continue to work out of the station until a judge orders him to leave.

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