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Obion Fire Chief and Firefighters Resign in Rural Fire Protection Fight

Obion Tennessee’s fire chief and about 8 other volunteer firefighters resigned this week after a fight over rural fire protection. 

Obion Mayor Glen Parnell says the issue came to a head at Monday’s board of Alderman meeting. He says Fire Chief Jamie Evans proposed a plan for rural fire service that left out the extreme southwest of the county.

“We had an area mapped out that we felt like we could cover and be justified in doing it and three board members went against it. So the fire chief and the ones that resigned… resigned.”

Parnell feels like the board members who voted against the chief’s plan seemed to be more concerned about county residents not covered in the plan than residents of the city they represent. He says there will still be fire coverage in the area until the situation is resolved due to mutual aid agreements with other cities.

Shelly Baskin works in MSU's Office of Regional Outreach and is a graduate student in Occupational Safety and Health. A roustabout from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly first found his way into WKMS through the newsroom back in 2011 through luck, charm and force of will. Though he left news for another position, he still enjoys working on independent radio projects and volunteering for the station. He’s an avid disc golfer and occasional real golfer and is terrible at both. A lover of all things musical, Shelly is always ready to hear something new and unique.
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