Canton, Cherokee Leaders Continue To Negotiate Laurel Canyon Fire Station

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Cherokee County needs to replace Fire Station No. 9 on Reinhardt College Parkway. The city of Canton needs to build a fire station further north along the highway on land inside the Laurel Canyon subdivision.

Instead of both agencies going their separate ways to build their own stations, leaders from county government and city of Canton sat down on Thursday to discuss details on a possible joint venture.

The county has released a preliminary outline of what a joint operation of the northwest Canton fire station would look like. Under that proposal, Canton would:

• Design and build the Laurel Canyon station for an estimated occupancy date of July 1, 2015.
• Provide a ladder company at one of the city’s fire stations, which will be trained at the Cherokee County Fire Training Center or other training as a Rapid Intervention Team.
• The city has budgeted nine additional firefighters for fiscal year 2015. If an acceptable agreement is reached, these nine firefighters will be “utilized to further enhance the quality of the Canton operated fire stations.”
• Execute a 50-year intergovernmental agreement for the county to operate the Laurel Canyon station, which would be renewable at five-year minimal renewal periods. Canton would inform the county at least two years in advance of any intent to terminate the agreement.
• Canton would execute a “mutually acceptable” automatic aid agreement.
• Move forward with operating the Laurel Canyon station “should the fire station when completed not be acceptable for use by the county. The county would have no further obligation.”

For its part, Cherokee County would:

• Operate the fire station “at no additional charge to the city of Canton. The area covered by the operation shall be five radial miles or an area agreeable by both parties.”
• Execute a mutually acceptable intergovernmental agreement to equip and operate the Laurel Canyon station.
• Assign an ambulance squad for base operations from the station.
• Provide training to Canton fire personnel in relation to the ladder company or other areas as requested consistent with the county training personnel availability.

The meeting on Thursday was facilitated by Linda Breeden, a longtime human resources professional, and was held in the conference room on the upper level at Sidelines Grille. Over a dozen residents attended the meeting, which allowed the elected officials and key fire services staff hash out the details of a proposed arrangement.

County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens said operating costs of the county would “literally” be transferred to the new station, and Canton residents would not see a tax increase.

“You got a win-win there,” he added.

Under the proposed agreement, the city would spend between $700,000 and $800,000 each year on the facility, which it would retain ownership of.

However, to City Manager Glen Cummins, the county’s stipulation that the city providing a ladder company would not result in an “even swap” between the two entities, as the city would incur the cost of providing that company.

But, according to Cherokee County Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Robinson, paying for the ladder company is something the city needs to undertake, which he said would enhance the city’s quality of service it provides in the arena of fire protection.

Canton Fire Chief Dean Floyd said he disagreed with the assertion. Floyd noted he’d rather train firefighters in areas such as forced ventilation and search and rescue tactics as opposed to using a ladder company for a Rapid Intervention Team.

Council member Hooky Huffman encouraged both the city and the county to look towards the future and not just at the proposal for a joint venture.

“We’ve got to make the right decision that’s not short term,” he added.

There was some comparison on the staffing and response time between the city and the county.

Floyd said his agency can dispatch up to 10 firefighters to a fire within seven to eight minutes. On a “worse” day, Floyd said that number can hover around seven.

Comparatively, the county dispatches a minimal of 15 firefighters. And since both agencies provide mutual aid to one another, Robinson noted, “In my opinion, the taxpayers of the county are picking up much more of the burden” of providing fire services to the city.

That remark compelled most of the residents attending the meeting to voice their disapproval through audible groans.

The city of Canton has 21 firefighters while Cherokee County has 276 firefighters. Mayor Gene Hobgood encouraged the council to consider the proposal on the table.

“This is an opportunity for us to get more fireman for the stations that we do have,” he said, noting the city has for a long time needed to hire more firefighters.

Council member John Rust addressed the automatic aid agreement as part of the proposal. Rust said both the city and the county needed to push forward with an automatic aid agreement, which he said should be something both entities should enact no matter what happens in the near future.

“It shouldn’t be a bargaining chip,” he added.

If the city and the county can’t agree on a deal, Robinson said the county would move forward with a plan to build a new station along Sam Nelson Road.

Rust also brought up the notion of a proposal to assign an ambulance squad at the Laurel Canyon fire station. The councilman added the ambulance would not be solely assigned to the station, and would be dispatched to other areas on an as-needed basis. With that in mind, Rust said that should be taken off the table since it’s a “false assumption” that it would be there the entire time.

“You’re kind of setting yourself up for failure because you’re creating an expectation that may not be realized,” he said, later adding “it feels like we are being held hostage by that ambulance (service).”

Looking to the future, both entities said they will also have to grapple with building fire stations near the replacement Northside Hospital-Cherokee facility, which is slated to be built along Northside-Cheorkee Boulevard between Hickory Flat Highway and Commerce Boulevard.

Cherokee County would replace Station 3, which sits on S.R. 140 east of Univeter Road while Canton would build another fire station on land near the new hospital. With that new hospital, the city would close its downtown fire station and relocate services to the new one.

Both entities realized that before any tangible talks could begin, they would need to see a detailed cost analysis plan that would show the possible benefits or drawbacks of a joint venture.

Additionally, the elephant in the room of the discussion was the lingering question of whether the Canton Fire Department would consolidate with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. Leaders from both the city and the county agreed that a merger would be off the table for the time being.