Dear Editor,
After reading about the Putnam County-Eatonton automatic aid agreement between the fire departments (The Eatonton Messenger, Page A2, June 11, 2026), I believe this is a good thing. At the same time, however, it appears to show that the city cannot stand on its own with its current fire department.
Why does "Big Brother" (the county) have to come save the city's ISO rating, according to Mr. James Gorley? Yes, this is a good thing for city residents if it helps lower their insurance rates, but why does the county have to bail the city out? If the city is spending money to provide the fire chief with a take-home vehicle, I find it an unjustified expense.
According to Putnam County's qPublic records, the city fire chief lives roughly three miles from the fire department — about a six-mile round trip each workday. Mr. Gary Sanders said the fire chief has been using his personal vehicle for official business. The Eatonton Fire Department is identified as a volunteer department. Are volunteers also going to be provided vehicles to respond to official business when City of Eatonton residents call 911 for help?
I believe that money could have been spent on something that would improve the fire department as a whole, rather than benefiting one person who works 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. I would hope those funds would instead be used to purchase equipment that is truly needed to serve the city's residents and businesses better.
I think the city owes its citizens a detailed explanation of how purchasing a take-home vehicle for the fire chief will improve fire service. If officials cannot justify the expense, then that money should be spent on things that will benefit the citizens and the fire department as a whole.
With the county responding to assist the city every day with fire and EMS services, why have an Eatonton Fire Department at all?
City officials need to justify the department's existence if they cannot provide enough funding to staff the station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as the county does.
Please, Mr. James Gorley and Mr. Gary Sanders, submit a letter to the newspaper next week explaining in detail why a take-home vehicle for the fire chief is a good use of taxpayer dollars.
Bob Jones,
Putnam County