Feb. 17--FLORENCE, S.C. -- A plan to consolidate Florence County's emergency services under one administrative umbrella continues to gain steam as county officials push ahead with plans to make it a reality, but a bumpy road may be ahead for the initiative.
Some chiefs of the county's seven fire districts worry that administrative consolidation may come at the expense of individual departments' identities. The chiefs are also concerned the plan, which is being pushed hard by the new county administrator, K.G. "Rusty" Smith Jr., is moving along too fast and without much input from the local volunteer departments.
John DeLung, Windy Hill's fire chief, said some chiefs are asking council to proceed carefully and be sure to keep the chiefs in the loop.
"That's a big concern for us," he said, "and is why we've asked members of county council behind this to slow down."
DeLung said that sentiment was expressed at a meeting between chiefs and county officials at the end of January, a meeting called at the chiefs' request.
West Florence Fire Chief Larue Hendrix wouldn't say if he shared DeLung's concerns, but did said he considered things still "up in the air" as far as the chiefs' buying into the initiative.
"I'm just waiting to see what will happen," Hendrix said.
The chiefs' concern comes as county council prepares to move ahead with a key piece of the consolidation plan, the creation of countywide fire and emergency services director -- a "fire czar" if you will. County council's agenda for its Feb. 21 meeting includes a proposal to budget monies for the new director in the upcoming fiscal year.
Newly elected county council chair James Schofield said the position will be advertised, and council will vote on applicants, like the process to hire a county administrator. But multiple sources close to county government have said one name had already moved to the head of the line -- South Lynches Fire Chief Sam Brockington.
Brockington said Friday he was aware his name had been mentioned by multiple county officials as an ideal candidate for the director's position.
"If they create the position, I am very interested and I will apply for it," he said.
Brockington's appeal, according to sources close to county government who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the final hiring decision is up to the council, is his experience with volunteer fire districts and the relationships he already has with many of the chiefs.
Brockington started at South Lynches as a volunteer in 1968 at age 16, and 20 years later became chief of the special fire district. Under his leadership, South Lynches has gained state and national recognition for its impressive safety record.
Even though South Lynches would not be included in a county consolidation -- it's a district specially created by the state because it spans parts of two counties -- supporters hope Brockington's relationships with the chiefs and volunteers would help the smooth the transition to a consolidated system.
Dorchester model
Schofield, along with Smith, council members and county government officials, have begun meeting with other counties that have gone through a consolidation process, including Sumter, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Schofield said the Dorchester operation drew considerable interest from the Florence delegation.
Dorchester County completed the switch to countywide system at the beginning of February under the leadership of Trey Atkinson, who met with Schofield and others recently.
"I thought (Atkinson's) presentation was excellent," Schofield said. "In fact, it appears what they've done is exactly what we're talking about doing."
Atkinson, who has 26 years experience in the field, told Florence officials that concerns, like those voiced by DeLung, are common in volunteer departments. He advised them to address such matters delicately.
"The biggest thing is making sure the volunteers understand this is not taking anything away from them," he said. "Community identification is a big thing because these people work from the ground up building these stations, using their own money putting gas in those trucks. They have plenty of ownership."
DeLung said another major concern is that procedures developed by the districts would negatively affect the day-to-day operations.
"Most of us in fire services feel like nothing's broke," he said.
Schofield said he recognizes concerns like DeLung's and reiterated that council was sensitive to such feelings. He said the county is not questioning the districts' ability to do their jobs, but rather looking to improve the service they already offer.
A fire/rescue director would primarily address fiscal oversight to avoid situations like what occurred in Howe Springs in recent years where money was embezzled, in part because of a lack of oversight.
"That is not a condemnation of anybody that's there now," Schofield said of Howe Springs. "It's saying this happened twice in that district and the county council has an obligation to protect the taxpayer dollars."
However, the job description for the director's position included in council's agenda states the position will also oversee operation and training of the individual districts.
Tax savings
Coordination of operations and fiscal oversight are part of the motivation for moving toward a consolidated system. Officials believe the multi-faceted plan will also bring cost savings to some of the rural districts feeling the pinch of high millage and bond rates.
Florence County's fire districts average just more than 23 mils, but there's a wide range. West Florence has the lowest millage rate of eight mils and Johnsonville leads with 37.9 mils. Ten mils would mean about $40 in taxes for the owner of a $100,000 house.
Smith said he believes many county residents would see their millage rates decrease under a consolidated plan. That would be a welcome development for folks in places like Johnsonville.
"(The high millage rate) is killing them," Smith said. "We want to try and have a standardized rate."
Reduced taxes is always good news, but the perception of a rush to judgment could hamper progress of the plan. The advancement of Brockington as a probable county fire director, even before the position has been approved, hasn't helped that campaign.
Compounding the feeling that county officials have jumped the gun is the fact that the chief is a longtime friend of Smith, whose own hiring late last year was shrouded in controversy. Critics then -- including the Morning News' editorial board -- questioned the manner in which Smith was hired, and the ethics of a member an elected body moving directly in the top administrative post supervised by that body.
Smith was hired after Tom Robinson's contract was not renewed after one year.
Brockington said he recognizes the potential for controversy, but said he feels his record with South Lynches speaks for itself.
"I will pursue the position based on my qualifications and not on my friendship (with Smith)," Brockington said. "But I will not deny that he is my friend. I'm proud of that."
County council meets at 9 a.m. Thursday at the city county complex.
Copyright 2013 - Florence Morning News, S.C.
