Lavon Terminates Fire Agreement With Neighboring City
LAVON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Some volunteer firefighters say the City of Lavon is putting its citizens at risk by terminating a longstanding agreement with them.
A decision by the Lavon City Council Tuesday night raises questions about who, if anyone, will respond to a fire in the city.
This ordinance passed by the city council terminated its longtime relationship with the Nevada Volunteer Fire Department.
It says at the end that it would become effective immediately.
That wouldn't be an issue if Lavon had a fire department. The issue does not affect ambulance service.
Lavon has a fire station and engine that the Nevada volunteers worked out of and used.
But the two sides haven't been able to come to terms on a new compensation agreement.
The city says the volunteer department was asking for a lot more money without being open about its finances.
The volunteers say the city is just trying to get around reimbursing them for expenses that other cities and Collin County do reimburse them for.
It's led Lavon to establish its own volunteer fire department.
Nevada's volunteers say it will take more than a year to create one from scratch and Lavon citizens and their homes will be at risk without an agreement during the transition.
"We don't know where we stand so we don't know where the citizens stand at this point," said Amy Cortez of the Nevada Volunteer Fire Department. "My only guess is that since there was no agreement reached that Lavon may expect us to run calls like we have been for no money, but we don't know where that leaves us."
The Lavon City Administrator said she was under the impression Nevada would continue to offer fire and ambulance service to Lavon in the interim.
On Wednesday Nevada volunteers did answer a call in Lavon, sign that they will respond in good faith at least for the time being.
Lavon's mayor says he has contacted Farmersville, Rockwall and Wylie about providing service if needed.