Chattanooga Times Free Press
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Not long before Charles “Chuck” Nichols was appointed as Catoosa County’s first full-time fire chief, it was not clear if the county’s force of paid and volunteer firefighters was going to stay together.
But Chuck Gass, former part-time chief for the Catoosa Fire and Rescue department, said it looks like they will stick.
“I plan to stay with the department, and it’s my understanding about all the Catoosa/Ringgold volunteer firefighters plan to remain,” Mr. Gass said Thursday.
He said he may have a role as a deputy or division chief over volunteers under Chief Nichols.
“Chief Nichols told me Wednesday I will probably be a deputy chief,” Mr. Gass said.
It’s been a rocky road to the appointment of a full-time fire chief from the decision in 2007 to add paid firefighters to man fire stations during the day and rely on volunteers for night duty. County officials said they wanted to merge or consolidate fire and rescue services within the county where three fire departments operate with service areas and autonomy.
Catoosa commissioners approved a fire services delivery strategy on Tuesday with Catoosa Fire and Rescue providing fire and emergency services to all unincorporated areas of the county.
Ringgold is to receive county coverage in return for giving its share of annual insurance premium tax revenue — about $130,000 — the city receives annually from the state.
“It’s all new territory for everyone,” Mr. Gass said, but he added most of the volunteers have indicated they will remain and give the new fire chief a chance to move the department forward.
The county’s plan calls for Fort Oglethorpe to provide coverage within its city boundaries, but what happens to Post Volunteer Fire and Rescue is not yet clear.
The county’s payments to those departments to protect some areas outside Fort Oglethorpe will end Thursday.
Change from Volunteer
County Manager Mike Helton said Catoosa Fire and Rescue now has about 30 full-time firefighters, making it the largest department of county government under direct commission control. He said it needed a full-time fire chief.
“I received input from people at the local and state level on names of potential candidates to consider during the three-month process leading to the selection of Mr. Nichols,” Mr. Helton said.
He said Mr. Nichols also is trained as a paramedic, has supervised a large emergency medical services division and has worked with full-time and volunteer departments.
Work was begun more than two weeks ago recoding addresses in the areas now served by Post Volunteer stations to fire stations slated to provide future service.
“The changes should be in place where 911 personnel will direct calls for service to the proper stations of responsibility,” Mr. Helton said.
Catoosa 911 Administrator Joyce Williams said the changes can be in place within a week.
After being announced as the new chief last week, Mr. Nichols got a partial tour of fire stations to meet some of the crews.
Scott Phillips, a full-time firefighter at Station 1 in Ringgold, said his initial impression was favorable.
Full-time firefighter Darrell Touchstone said he’s ready to move ahead and do his job under the new chief’s direction.
“He appears very professional based on the way he presented himself in our brief meeting,” he said.
In that meeting, one thing Mr. Nichols stressed to the fire crews: “If you are ever in doubt on your safety during a fire, always err on the side of caution.”
He said both volunteers and full-time firefighters will be important to delivering quality service in Catoosa County.
For some of the volunteers, it was clear their decision to remain or leave hinged on what former Chief Gass would do.
“If he stays, then we will, as well,” one volunteer said.
Marlin Thompson, chairman of the Post Volunteer board of directors, said the board had a productive meeting with Mr. Nichols and Mr. Helton at Station 1 in Fort Oglethorpe.
“We feel the county has hired a quality individual, and we’re optimistic about the future,” Mr. Thompson said.
Mr. Nichols was to greet members of Post Volunteer Fire Department and Fort Oglethorpe Fire Department personnel at Fort Oglethorpe Station 1 Thursday night, but a three-alarm call emptied the station before he could talk.
Fort Oglethorpe and Post Volunteer Fire Chief Bruce Ballew said the firefighters won’t say anything until they get some information from the county.
“We asked for answers to several questions during our Wednesday meeting with Mr. Nichols and Mr. Helton,” he said, but he declined to say about what.
Copyright 2008 Chattanooga Publishing Company