Possible Changes Headed to WVFD

WHITEHOUSE — Smith County ESD #2 board president Mitch Henderson tells KETK that Whitehouse Assistant City Manager Kevin Huckabee made a presentation to the board Monday night. Huckabee said the city is looking to increase its level of involvement in the district to forming a city department that will also service the entire VFD district. The city presented its plan to the board, and which tabled it until the board can set up a workshop to learn more about the cost structure, effectiveness of response, and so on. Henderson suspects it will be a professional fire department and a volunteer service as well.

“Certainly it’s the way it used to be done years ago before the ESD, the City of Whitehouse, which had its own VFD, performed those services throughout the whole district. So it may be a merging together of monies and talents…and it may not be successful at all. We don’t know,” Henderson said.

According to KETK, many of the firefighters were upset about what’s in their new contracts. But board president Henderson said it’s a contract that was made from the ground up, with all of the VFD’s participation and support.