The proposed merger between Burningtown-Iotla and Cowee fire departments is on hold, but questions still exist about leadership and response to calls.
Burningtown-Iotla Fire and Rescue (BIFR) met with the Macon County Board of Commissioners during its budget work session on Thursday, May 22, to discuss the results of its meetings with Cowee Fire and Rescue. At the May 13 commissioners meeting, the board asked the two departments to discuss how to solve a collection of BIFR leadership issues and possibly merge the two departments.
Background
Burningtown-Iotla Fire and Rescue (BIFR) was placed on an eight-month probation by the county in July 2024, after an inspection revealed the department had fallen below the required 19 members with 36 hours of training.
Since then, the department has encountered issues in its responses, including difficulty operating its equipment and multiple nonresponses, one of which was for a medical emergency. The department was also behind on submitting fire reports to the state.
BIFR has since managed to get its membership and training hours in good condition, according to a report at the May 13 meeting, but was unable to clearly identify the failures in leadership that led to those repeated issues.
Acting Chief Kenneth McCaskill said the nonresponses occurred due to communications issues in the mountainous terrain, a claim refuted by county 911 Director Todd Seagle. McCaskill also said issues with performance and scene response had been caused by a kind of chaos that can be found at any emergency response scene.
In addition, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that BIFR has been under investigation since spring 2024, though the bureau declined to elaborate on the subject or scope of the investigation.
At the work session
During the May 22 meeting, McCaskill said BIFR Board of Directors Chair Mike Yacks and Chief Josh Blanton had both stepped down from their positions since the May 13 meeting. McCaskill has been acting as the chief until an election can be held. Director Bill Duffell was also present to represent the department. This means BIFR has gone through four chiefs in the last two years.
“We have had some leadership challenges … every department is scrambling for volunteers,” McCaskill said.
McCaskill repeated his assertions that communication issues were responsible for the department’s nonresponses and that the issues with the department’s performance when responding to calls could be found at any site of emergency response. He did say their personnel would benefit from more training and lamented the loss of training opportunities in the county over the years.
In addition, McCaskill provided some clarification on the circumstances of the ongoing SBI investigation, saying that the bureau had requested the department stay quiet about the investigation as it proceeded.
“We called in law enforcement … we turned that over to the SBI and what it was, it was misappropriation of funds by one of our members,” McCaskill said. “When we found those problems, we pointed it out and we sought resolution.”
McCaskill said BIFR had decided not to merge with Cowee and instead requested at least six months to work on its leadership issues. Duffell requested that the board give BIFR the opportunity to communicate with community members in the Burningtown district to see how they would like to proceed.
In response, the board further discussed liability and the responsibility of leadership within BIFR and its board of directors.
“See, this is exactly what I was asking for last meeting, I was asking for leadership,” Commissioner Chair Josh Young said. “The chief stood right back there and never said a word. McCaskill, you’re a very direct person. You have very good leadership qualities … but where is the seven-member board?”
“The chiefs that they keep picking,” Young said, “We’ve sat right here and discussed the caliber of leadership that they don’t have. That is a direct reflection on the board that puts that leadership in place.”
“It’s obvious that it’s broken, the problem is that it isn’t being addressed,” Commissioner Danny Antoine said.
“A week and a half ago … to today, is Burningtown-Iotla Fire Department better off in their contract agreement with Macon County than when it was discussed in our last meeting?” Commissioner John Shearl asked.
Duffell said he believed he was better off knowing the issues within the department, but with the resignation of leadership the department as a whole was not better suited to fulfill its contract.
“What it does is it gives Burningtown leadership that they don’t have … Burningtown is in the situation it’s in because it doesn’t have good leadership,” Commissioner Barry Breeden said. “So, I think that the idea that those 40 years are out the window, and they don’t know anybody, nobody says you can’t be part of that fire department … either in a merger, or a termination, you can still be a part of that fire department, it’ll just have different leadership.”
County Manager Warren Cabe said the board may continue to discuss BIFR at its May 28 work session.
Cowee Fire and Rescue is still responding to Burningtown’s calls as directed by the commissioners.