Dewey Woody

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — An advisory group is meeting today to look ahead toward five years of Bradley County fire protection.

The County Fire Board, with county commissioners and private citizens as members, will be considering “everything from boots to trucks,” Fire Chief Dewey Woody said.

The horizon goes beyond the 2012 expiration of the contract that the county and the city of Cleveland agreed to earlier this year. The county will pay the city more than $2.2 million in that time to deliver fire protection in the populous county area just outside the Cleveland city limits. The county fire and rescue department provides protection for the rest of the county.

“The emphasis behind the retreat is to develop a plan that takes us through the next five years,” Chief Woody said. That includes equipment and placement of future stations, he said.

Bradley County school board member Terry McGuire is Fire Board chairman.

“In essence we will be looking at the funding and how we get there,” Mr. McGuire said.

During their own recent planning retreat Cleveland City Council members also said they need to begin looking past 2012 for fire protection.

Cleveland Fire Chief Chuck Atchley said the city has purchased land for a sixth fire station off APD 40.

“That will put us within better reach of Exit 20 (on Interstate 75) and help maintain our ISO rating,” he said.

The city wants to annex more area around Exit 20 because of anticipated commercial and industrial growth in the area.