Fire Consolidation Back On Canton Agenda

CANTON, GA -- After nearly two years of being on the back burner, it appears the Canton City Council will once again consider consolidating its fire department with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.

The City Council will discuss and consider approval of an intergovernmental agreement with Cherokee County to merge both agencies at its regular meeting, which will begin immediately following its fiscal year 2017 budget hearing.

That hearing will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 at Canton City Hall.

According to the proposed 50-year agreement, Canton would:

• Pay the county the amount that equals the county's 3.374 fire district millage rate. In addition, the value of exemptions provided to senior citizens by the city shall not be increased for the purpose of paying for fire services.
• Pay Cherokee County $1.25 million towards the design and construction costs of the fire station in the Laurel Canyon-Great Sky area within 30 days of the date in which the agreement goes into effect. All funds held in fire impact fees and SPLOST collected for fire services and facilities shall be used first toward the project followed by a transfer of general funds to settle the balance.
• Provide written notice at least 90 days of any proposed changes in its ordinances, laws or regulations when those changes could impact the delivery of fire services or would increase or change the level of services.
• Continue to collect its fire development impact fees, which would be transferred to the county immediately upon the city’s collection of such impact fees.
• Agree that the training levels, experience and certification requirements for personnel and equipment shall be established by the Cherokee County fire chief and/or his designee.
• Retain ownership of Fire Station No. 16 (known as the downtown station) at 190 West Main Street and use a portion of that station for administrative services. Canton would also agree to lease the remaining space to Cherokee County for fire services.
• Transfer ownership of the vacant land earmarked for a city fire station in the Bluffs to the county. The ownership would revert back to the city if Cherokee County opts not to use the site for a fire station in the future.
• Transfer ownership of the South Canton Fire Station at 2731 Marietta Highway to the county. If the county determines to dispose of this site in the future, Canton shall be provided a right of first refusal to purchase the station.

In turn, Cherokee County will perform the following:

• Starting Jan. 1, 2017, initiate provision of the services, including but not limited to responding to all emergency fire, hazardous material, and lifesaving related alarms within the Canton Service Area, and providing pre-fire planning, fire investigations, hydrant flow, community services and such other usual and customary services as are provided by Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services within the county related to fire and emergency services, with the exception of those services that will continue to be provided by the city’s fire marshal and fire inspector for purposes of conducting fire code inspections, fire pre-construction building plan review and approvals and water flow testing.
• Cherokee County would not assume any supervisory authority or involvement in any way with fire marshal services provided by the Canton fire marshal and fire inspector or any other city employee who provides these services.
• Ensure an ambulance squad is assigned and deployed from the future Laurel Canyon/Great Sky station and from the future S.R. 140 (Hickory Flat Highway) area fire station under construction to respond to advance life support calls.
• Build the Laurel Canyon/Great Sky Station to replace Fire Station No. 9, as planned in the
  2012 SPLOST Program. Cherokee County will transfer staffing and equipment from the current Fire Station No. 9 to the station in the Laurel Canyon/Great Sky area. The county's goal is to complete construction of the Laurel Canyon/Great Sky station in 2017.
• Once it completes its new fire station in the Hickory Flat Highway area to replace Fire Station No. 3, the county would transfer staffing from the current facility to the new structure. Cherokee hopes to complete construction on the station this year.
• Transfer ownership of roughly 45.12 acres of land at Old Doss Lane along the Etowah River to Canton for future park/greenspace/trail use.
• Transfer ownership of the Jones Building to the city of Canton, which would renovate the building to allow for the Cherokee Arts Center to relocate into the facility.

Canton would also transfer to the county ownership of all firefighting equipment, apparatus, fire stations and land earmarked for fire stations, which equipment and property is owned by the city. Additionally, all existing Canton Fire Department personnel will become county employees.

Canton's fire marshal and fire inspector would remain city employees, however. Existing city personnel seniority (for both total years of service and years within their rank) will transfer to the county for position and promotion purposes, the agreement notes.

Dean Floyd, Canton's current fire chief, would become a county employee and member of the Cherokee County Fire Chief Tim Prather's executive staff. He would serve as division level chief, and Floyd (or a designee selected by Prather) would serve as a liaison with Canton city leadership. Floyd's seniority would also be transferred to the county.

The recommendation comes from the city's Fire Services Committee. According to documents provided by the city, consolidation with Cherokee County is expected to save the city close to $6 million.

Canton City Hall is located at 151 Elizabeth Street.

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Image via Canton Fire Department