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Committee will study VVFD’s options

A team that includes Vandalia’s mayor and the chiefs of the city’s volunteer fire department will be studying possible funding and operations options for that department in the future.
For the time being, Mayor Rick Gottman emphasized, the fire department will continue to serve city residents and those in outlying areas as they always have.
Gottman announced at Monday’s council meeting that the decision to study the department’s options was made after he met with VVFD Chief Ed Taylor, First Assistant Chief Keith Meadows and Second Assistant Chief Steve Stombaugh.
“We want to look at all opportunities, from a district to whatever it may be, for our fire department,” Gottman said.
“We’re going to look at the opportunities that we have now, outside of just our city, of providing services,” he said.
“We have heard our accountant and our attorney say many times that we need to look at those opportunities as they exist,” Gottman said.
He said that he and the chiefs agreed to have the committee include some insurance agents, an accounting firm representative and some people living outside city limits, and that he will ask Fayette County officials to appoint someone to the group.
Gottman told aldermen that at their weekly session last Wednesday, members of the VVFD agreed with the decision to implement the study.
After completing its work, the committee will present its findings and any recommendations to the council, he said.
After explaining that plan, Gottman emphasized that until any changes are made, the fire department will continue to operate as it always has, despite any rumors to the contrary.
“It will continue to serve not only the people in the city of Vandalia, but if they’re called outside the city, they are going to respond,” the mayor said.
 

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