The Argos Town Council members have placed a department head in charge of the Argos Fire Protection Territory.
Argos Economic Development Director Mark VanDerWeele and Councilman Charles Randy Snead, who is the president of the Fire Territory, explained to the council members that Mark Dean is slated to be the person in charge when it comes to the Fire Department and the EMS Department under the Fire Territory.
“So, after the first of the year, as you know, everything will fall under one person,” said VanDerWeele. “Mark [Dean] will be charge. We’re just trying to transition into that, but we’ve got a couple of employees that are right now being paid by the town, so the territory couldn’t make that decision. Virtually, Randy is asking that that take effect now. After the first of the year these guys will answer to Mark and he will have to approve payroll – he’ll be the department head.”
The formation of a Fire Protection Territory was approved in March to help raise money through an increase in property taxes to help pay full-time EMTs and pay for necessary equipment for the EMS and the Argos Fire Department. The fire service would remain a volunteer service. Funding for the Fire Territory begins in 2022.
