Who will run the local department?

CALABASH—What does the future hold for the Calabash Volunteer Fire Department?

That was a subject of debate at a Carolina Shores budget retreat last week.

Carolina Shores town commissioner Gere Dale, who represents his town on the fire department board, broached the topic, drawing fire from Mayor Steve Selby after suggesting one option is for the town to take it over.

“I think a financial feasibility study is not only necessary but I think essential,” said Dale, who sought commissioners’ comments.

Depending on a study and recommendations of that study, results could end up in the town’s capital improvements projects, Dale said.

Other options are two separate fire departments in separate buildings for Calabash and Carolina Shores, or one common department, he said.

Selby said if Dale is talking about the department becoming the “Carolina Shores Fire Department, I’m sure Calabash would have something to say about us taking over the Calabash Fire Department.”

Selby then asked whether Calabash planned to have its own department as well.

“What I said was one of the alternatives would be to split up the existing fire department between Carolina Shores and Calabash,” Dale said.

That, he said, also ties in with the building committee determining whether to stick with one building and the other option of the department being under joint responsibility of the two neighboring towns.

The towns having their own fire departments “would be part of what I would consider in the financial feasibility study, whether the town could support a fire department, as most of the towns surrounding us already do,” Dale said.

Security vs. fire protection

“We’re talking about emergency management and many other issues, coordinating with Calabash,” Selby said. “Now we’re suggesting two fire departments, one for each town.”

When Dale then cited the two alternatives, Selby called him down for interrupting.

“I didn’t interrupt you when you were giving that presentation,” he said. “I have the floor, so I’ll finish what I want to say. Is that right?”

“Be my guest,” Dale said.

Selby said the idea sounds like “an opposite approach to what we’ve already decided is best for Carolina Shores, to coordinate with Calabash.”

“I really don’t think we want to go the direction of having two fire departments, two fire chiefs, two different pieces of equipment, unless at the time Carolina Shores gets to be 10,000 people on its own, which is probably 10 years or more away,” Selby said.

Dale said the town is projecting a population of 8,500 of 2012, “which is only four years from now.”

Selby interjected that projection originated “when the economy was on the upswing, not since the recent downturn. Everybody’s downsizing right now. Nobody’s upsizing that I’m aware of.”

Selby said it’s his understanding it’s not just the two towns, but the county is also involved in an effort to decide whether it wants to take over the fire department.

“I don’t know whether that’s a good option or not,” Selby said. “Until we see how things shake out with what Calabash is going to do, what Brunswick County is going to do in regard to the Calabash Fire Department. There are other entities besides the two towns that are involved in this.”

Selby said he does not want to go in the direction of establishing a Carolina Shores fire department, “when our needs for security outweigh our need for a fire department. Myself, I probably would lean towards security than I would lean towards fire safety. I believe that right now our services are quite adequate.”

Fire fees are offering “bang for the buck,” and the ISO rating is providing for lower insurance rates, Selby said.

Study, talk needed

Commissioner Jack Csernecky said all Dale is talking about is possible options at this time, in addition to a financial feasibility study.

Commissioner Tom Puls said he supports such a study between the two towns, rather than Carolina Shores on its own.

“If we’re sitting here arguing over the price of a backhoe, you have any idea the price of a fire engine?” Puls said.

Dale said it’s his impression that Calabash Fire Chief Karl Bennett “does not feel that the fire department is going to be left as it is to perpetuity. But something is going to have to happen.”

The county or municipalities are going to have to take it over, he said, “but it probably is not going to be left as we know it today.”

Bennett, busy at weekly training with firefighters Monday night, said, “We’ve come to the point where we need to look at various options.”

Finances, he said, are probably the biggest consideration.

Bennett said he is not proposing any specific ideas or any one option.

“I’m proposing we all meet and talk about it,” he said.

That was a subject of debate at a Carolina Shores budget retreat last week.

Carolina Shores town commissioner Gere Dale, who represents his town on the fire department board, broached the topic, drawing fire from Mayor Steve Selby after suggesting one option is for the town to take it over.

“I think a financial feasibility study is not only necessary but I think essential,” said Dale, who sought commissioners’ comments.

Depending on a study and recommendations of that study, results could end up in the town’s capital improvements projects, Dale said.

Other options are two separate fire departments in separate buildings for Calabash and Carolina Shores, or one common department, he said.

Selby said if Dale is talking about the department becoming the “Carolina Shores Fire Department, I’m sure Calabash would have something to say about us taking over the Calabash Fire Department.”

Selby then asked whether Calabash planned to have its own department as well.

“What I said was one of the alternatives would be to split up the existing fire department between Carolina Shores and Calabash,” Dale said.

That, he said, also ties in with the building committee determining whether to stick with one building and the other option of the department being under joint responsibility of the two neighboring towns.

The towns having their own fire departments “would be part of what I would consider in the financial feasibility study, whether the town could support a fire department, as most of the towns surrounding us already do,” Dale said.

Security vs. fire protection

“We’re talking about emergency management and many other issues, coordinating with Calabash,” Selby said. “Now we’re suggesting two fire departments, one for each town.”

When Dale then cited the two alternatives, Selby called him down for interrupting.

“I didn’t interrupt you when you were giving that presentation,” he said. “I have the floor, so I’ll finish what I want to say. Is that right?”

“Be my guest,” Dale said.

Selby said the idea sounds like “an opposite approach to what we’ve already decided is best for Carolina Shores, to coordinate with Calabash.”

“I really don’t think we want to go the direction of having two fire departments, two fire chiefs, two different pieces of equipment, unless at the time Carolina Shores gets to be 10,000 people on its own, which is probably 10 years or more away,” Selby said.

Dale said the town is projecting a population of 8,500 of 2012, “which is only four years from now.”

Selby interjected that projection originated “when the economy was on the upswing, not since the recent downturn. Everybody’s downsizing right now. Nobody’s upsizing that I’m aware of.”

Selby said it’s his understanding it’s not just the two towns, but the county is also involved in an effort to decide whether it wants to take over the fire department.

“I don’t know whether that’s a good option or not,” Selby said. “Until we see how things shake out with what Calabash is going to do, what Brunswick County is going to do in regard to the Calabash Fire Department. There are other entities besides the two towns that are involved in this.”

Selby said he does not want to go in the direction of establishing a Carolina Shores fire department, “when our needs for security outweigh our need for a fire department. Myself, I probably would lean towards security than I would lean towards fire safety. I believe that right now our services are quite adequate.”

Fire fees are offering “bang for the buck,” and the ISO rating is providing for lower insurance rates, Selby said.

Study, talk needed

Commissioner Jack Csernecky said all Dale is talking about is possible options at this time, in addition to a financial feasibility study.

Commissioner Tom Puls said he supports such a study between the two towns, rather than Carolina Shores on its own.

“If we’re sitting here arguing over the price of a backhoe, you have any idea the price of a fire engine?” Puls said.

Dale said it’s his impression that Calabash Fire Chief Karl Bennett “does not feel that the fire department is going to be left as it is to perpetuity. But something is going to have to happen.”

The county or municipalities are going to have to take it over, he said, “but it probably is not going to be left as we know it today.”

Bennett, busy at weekly training with firefighters Monday night, said, “We’ve come to the point where we need to look at various options.”

Finances, he said, are probably the biggest consideration.

Bennett said he is not proposing any specific ideas or any one option.

“I’m proposing we all meet and talk about it,” he said.