Lowen to take over as public safety director
The Como Volunteer Fire Department is now part of the City of Como, not part of Hopkins County, according to a Friday, Aug. 23 release from the City of Como.
The release also states that city code enforcement officer Andy Lowen will take over as public safety director and act as fire chief on an interim basis. Fire operations will be run out of a future, to-be-constructed Como Community Center, the release says. Matt Green has been named assistant fire chief, the release says.
Once fire services are established, Lowen will see to the establishment of a police force as well. “The name has been changed from Como Volunteer Fire Department to ‘Como Department of Public Safety - Police and Fire,’” according to the release.
“Our goal is to purchase the equipment we need and staff the Fire Dept with enthusiastic, trained and qualified young men and women that will dedicate their time to keeping Como and its’ [sic] residents safe,” the release stated.
“They’ve basically been shut down until we can go through the members,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom stated during the Monday, Aug. 26 session of Commissioners Court. “The City [of Como] owns the land and owns the Como Fire Department building and they’re going to take it over until they can get back on their feet again.”
“No longer is it just a volunteer organization, they work under the commissioner’s court out of the city limits,” Hopkins County fire chief Andy Endsley stated. “Once it is all back up and going under the authority of the court.”
Endsley stated that the new Como police force is waiting for an authorization from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to move forward.
“They will start the vetting process of anyone that wants to come in, they will allow the old members to reapply and they will go through a background history and drug screening,” Endsley said. “It’s a good process and there’s still more to come.”
Newsom ratified a formal court order to redirect the Como VFD mail, bills and payment to the City of Como.
This comes on the heels of arrests of two of the former Como VFD’s top officers.
Como fire chief Darren Harris and former Como chief Roy Darby were arrested on Aug. 17 on charges of theft of property.
Harris, 53, is charged with theft of property between $2500 and $30,000. Darby, 78, is charged with theft between $1500 and $20,000 according to HCSO records.
Both men were booked into jail and released the same day, according to records.
On August 20, Newsom stated there “may be more arrests regarding the [former] Como VFD.”
According to the HSCO press release, the Como VFD Station has been temporarily taken out of service until further notice pending investigation.
At this time, all calls for service will continue to be answered by the Hopkins County Fire Department and neighboring volunteer fire departments.