By Rupert Howell
An agreement that moves the process forward for the purchase of an additional Batesville fire truck to qualify the department to continue to serve county residents without losing its classification was finalized at Thursday’s supervisor meeting after months of haggling between that board and the City of Batesville.

Batesville Fire chief Tim Taylor told supervisors, “Thank you on behalf of Batesville Fire Department and the City of Batesville for resolving this and keeping service to all who need it.”
Taylor was accompanied by Batesville Mayor Jerry Autrey. Emergency Management Coordinator Daniel Cole presented the proposal that allowed the City of Batesville to apply for a $70,000 grant toward the purchase of the truck accompanied by a $100,000 payment within 30 days of the truck’s delivery.

The City of Batesville was faced with the purchase of buying two new fire trucks to keep their current Class VI rating if they were to continue to respond to calls outside the city’s boundaries.
Batesville officials thought the county should be responsible for one of the new trucks and county officials agreed in principal but wanted to purchase a truck similar to other trucks purchased for rural fire districts which cost less than trucks used by the city.

Batesville is the only entity with full-time firemen and Taylor explained earlier that trucks used by his department are capable of hauling a complete firefighting contingent to the scene. The county-sized trucks have room for a driver and one passenger inside the cab.

Cole told supervisors in July that Batesville Fire Department responds to “ . . .nine out of 10 structure fires in the county.”

Taylor said during the same July meeting that 25 percent of the structure fire calls his department receives are in the county, noting that figures does not include grass and car fires.
Taylor told supervisors that a truck order usually took from 250-270 days for delivery.