Fire Department, City near agreement on emergency sleep-overs

Posted 9/2/14

By Chris OrletRecord Managing Editor At least one Warrenton city supervisor took advantage of a tentative agreement between the city and the Warrenton Fire Protection District during Tuesday …

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Fire Department, City near agreement on emergency sleep-overs

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By Chris OrletRecord Managing Editor At least one Warrenton city supervisor took advantage of a tentative agreement between the city and the Warrenton Fire Protection District during Tuesday night’s snowstorm.The agreement allows some city employees to sleep at fire station 2 during weather emergencies.It was a welcome change from the last snowstorm in early January when some police officers and city employees slept on the floor or in their offices rather than risk getting stranded and unable to get back to work. Warrenton Mayor Jerry Dyer said supervisors were on duty for 24 hours a day throughout that storm.The agreement between the city and the fire district was on the agenda for Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting, but the meeting was canceled due to the snowstorm.That didn’t keep one city employee from taking advantage of the fire department’s hospitality.Fire department spokesman Scott Weir said the fire department has 14 beds and four recliners at the station.“There is plenty of room, even when we bring in extra personnel during inclement weather,” Weir said.Weir said housing city employees will not effect fire department services, and that fire personnel still have priority.The city was considering paying for employees’ hotel bills during a severe weather event when Fire Chief Mike Owenby approached the city with an offer to put up city workers during emergencies.“I give Chief Owenby all the credit,” Dyer said. “He stepped forward with the idea and said they had plenty of room to accommodate us, beds, showers, all you need.”The board of aldermen is expected to consider the agreement when Tuesday’s meeting is rescheduled, most likely Feb. 10 or 11.ire Department, City near agreement on emergency sleep-overs


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