July 5, 1990

First responsibility to protect the public

       The territorial dispute between the Greenwood and White River volunteer fire departments is understandable.  Each volunteer department takes pride in its service and wants to protect its interests.  However, if push comes to shove, both departments ought to remember one important point – their primary objective is public safety.  The White River department has proposed building a new fire station off Fairview Road near the Meridian Parke Shopping Center.  That’s about a mile and a half from Greenwood’s No. 2 fire station.  The location does raise some questions, especially considering that the departments assist each other on many calls in the area.  And, considering Greenwood’s annexation plans, there’s a possibility that one day the city could be providing fire service in that location.

        White River fire officials want to begin construction right away.  They say the department has a legal responsibility to construct another fire station as soon as possible to upgrade its service.  Greenwood Fire Chief Paul Kite recently publicly discussed the possibility of combining the two departments.  A Greenwood committee is studying its department’s needs and has hired a consultant to gather information about station locations, apparatus needs, staffing levels and mutual-aid agreements with other departments.  One of the recommendations could be joining forces with White River to serve better the fast-growing areas of northern Johnson County.  That possibility ought to be a consideration of the White River department before it builds a new station at the proposed location.
 
 

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