JASPER, Tenn. - The Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen called a special meeting last month to address some of the most pressing issues with the town's fire department.
On Feb. 11, the board voted 3-2 to dismiss fire Chief Chris Rector and name Earl Jones the interim chief after a report on Jasper's fire department was published by the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service.
Only five volunteers remained with the department after that vote.
At the special called meeting Feb. 21, the board voted unanimously to approve nine new volunteers.
Paul EvansJones said the department's "critical needs" included at least 15 sets of new turnout gear, 20 air packs with spare cylinders, and getting Engine 3 and Ladder 1 back into service.
Mayor Paul Evans said 10 sets of turnout gear were approved by the board months ago.
"They were supposed to be ordered several months ago," he said. "Why they weren't? I don't know."
Jones said he was not responsible for what happened at the town's fire department before Feb. 12.
"But I am responsible since the 12th for the conduct of this department," he said. "I'm in evaluation mode. We have had extensive evaluation of the apparatus. As of today, we're making progress on all these issues at this particular time."
Even though the board approved 10 sets of gear months ago, officials said that price likely has changed, and Jones said that gear would be inadequate anyway.
He said the turnout gear he would request would be custom-fit material and meet all the current standards.
"That's going to entail some additional costs," Jones said. He said the price for each set would be $3,703.90, or $55,558.50 total.
The board balked at that figure, and Vice Mayor Paul West suggested that city leaders should get quotes from more vendors to compare prices.
Evans said the order for gear earlier was around $15,000 total, or $1,500 per set.
He said he didn't think the town could afford to have "tailor-made" turnout gear because those sets wouldn't fit new volunteers when others left the department.
"You don't want them slouchy, but you've got to be reasonable," he told Jones.
West said only one of the city's four fire trucks is "100 percent."
Engine 3 needs a new pump and has electrical problems, while Ladder 1 needs testing and has a hydraulic issue.
West estimated repairs to those trucks could cost a total of $36,000 "on the high end."
Officials said the board couldn't approve the needed work or the cost of the turnout gear at the special meeting because that would require a budget amendment, and they'd have to have that paperwork prepared and know the exact price beforehand.
Jones said when the Jasper Fire Department is evaluated in May for its Insurance Services Office rating, "we're going to be a Class 10 instead of a Class 5."
An inspector was supposed to come to Jasper last month for that examination, but officials informed the inspector about the current situation and were able to convince him to allow more time to get things in order.
Alderman Jason Turner said the town would have to "put a rush on this stuff."
"I'm not really worried about our ISO rating right now," he said. "I'm more worried about a house catching on fire."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.