Whitfield County approves fire services agreement with Catoosa County

Aug. 15--DALTON, Ga. -- The Whitfield County Commission approved an agreement Monday night to share firefighter services with Catoosa County.

The commission voted unanimously to take part in a mutual aid agreement. Under the proposal, Catoosa County firefighters will respond to building fires in the northwest corner of Whitfield County. In turn, Whitfield County's firefighters will respond to calls in the southern and eastern portions of Catoosa County.

The Catoosa County Commission now will vote on the issue tonight at 6. Fire Chief Randy Camp expects the issue to pass. The commissioners already have signed off on similar mutual aid agreements with Walker County and Fort Oglethorpe.

Whitfield County Administrator Mark Gibson said the agreement will lower homeowners' insurance in the affected areas. People living near the line in either county will now have firefighters closer to them, lowering response times. As a result, their homes are less likely to be destroyed in a fire.

"It's good news for residents in that part of the county," Whitfield County Commission Chair Lynn Laughter said.

According to the agreement, this is how the response works: When a fire occurs in the southern or eastern end of Catoosa County, a Catoosa County 911 dispatcher will contact his or her counterpart in Whitfield County. That dispatcher will then alert the Whitfield County Fire Department, which will respond to the scene.

The same occurs in the opposite direction when a fire breaks out in the northwest corner of Whitfield County.

According to the agreement, firefighters from the counties will train together at least once a year. The partnership will run through July 2020.

Camp said the agreement will lower the Insurance Services Office rating, a grade that is based on how close your home is to a fire station. The rating runs from 10 to one. The lower the rating, the better. Camp said the rating in Catoosa County's affected areas will drop from 10 to five.

The firefighters that will respond to Whitfield County's outbreaks are based in Wood and Keith stations. These stations used to be entirely staffed by volunteers. But earlier this year, the Catoosa County Commission voted to put a full-time firefighter in those posts from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Volunteers still serve there on nights and weekends.

Firefighters already responded to fires across state lines, upon request.

"There are just a couple of neighborhoods where it made more sense to have automatic aid," Walker said.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.

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