A funding cut for Brinker Volunteer Fire Department was approved at the regular Hopkins County commissioners court Monday, after the department violated its contract.
According to Pct. 3 commissioner Wade Bartley, the VFD violated section 16 of their contract by self-dispatching on a call for service.
Effective the next payment cycle, the commissioners approved to withhold half the volunteer fire department’s monthly allowance, which is normally a little over $800. Bartley stated that the VFD will still receive their fuel allotment.
Insurance doesn’t cover what could go wrong during self-dispatching.
The contract was signed in October 2020.
“Self-dispatching… is really a dangerous thing,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said in October. “It produces chaos and can produce wrecks.”