Bradley County 911 Center Director Joe Wilson talks about the battery of technology that takes care of the center’s growing call volume in this file photo.CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Bradley County emergency service officials are worried about current and future budgets on the eve of the new fiscal year.
Joe Wilson, director of Bradley County 911, and Danny Lawson, director of Bradley County Emergency Medical Service, both expressed dismay this week over the County Commission’s refusal to give $173,745 to the 911 department.
The amount, part of $350,000 requested by the county, Cleveland and Charleston, was intended to stave off a third straight year of budget shortfalls in the Bradley County 911 district. If the budget’s not fixed, the department could be designated a “distressed district” and come under state oversight.
“I feel very bad that this body did not consider the cost of support agencies like Emergency Service, including 911, in our window of expanding our community through jobs and people,” said Lawson.
Cleveland and Charleston committed to their portions of the $350,000 request, he said.