By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution to give additional authority to the County Administrator and Emergency Management Director in emergency situations like the wildfires that have plagued the eastern part of the county in the past several weeks. The main point is to put into official language the already established practice of allowing director Adam Weishaar to deploy resources and therefore spend money in rural fire districts in those situations.
"This resolution gives me that authority, that budgetary authority, where I can say, we have to do this and this is why," Weishaar told the commission. "I'll justify it, just like I currently do, but knowing that the fire chief can't get upset by it. We have that authority in place."
Commission chair Daniel Friesen expedited the work, which was due on the agenda next month, to Tuesday's meeting because of the ongoing fire risks in the county.
"This isn't a negative thing for any of the fire districts," Friesen said. "I think, over time, we've realized that more coordination is highly critical for the county. I think it's important to go ahead and adopt this resolution to give additional authority to the county and its professional partners."
The main text of the resolution reads as follows:
1. The Reno County Administrator shall have the authority to appoint all District Fire Chiefs, including interim District Fire Chiefs, subject to approval by the governing body. The Reno County Administrator shall have the authority to discipline all District Fire Chiefs, including the authority to suspend or terminate their respective appointments to office.
2. In the absence of any Fire District Fire Chief, the County Administrator may name an interim Fire Chief, or name the County Fire Administrator as interim chief, and shall consult and obtain approval from the Board of County Commissioners on a permanent replacement as soon as practicable.
3. All Fire Chiefs, employees and volunteers of the Fire Districts are administratively responsible to the County Administrator. The County Administrator may delegate administrative oversight of the Fire Chiefs to the County Emergency Management Director and the County Fire Administrator as the County Administrator sees fit.
4. The Reno County Emergency Management director or his/her designee shall have authority on scene in any county fire district. This operational authority includes coordination of more than one fire district or with municipalities, ensuring compliance with fire district practices, and making any operational budgetary decisions. Fire Chiefs shall follow any order issued by the Reno Emergency Management director or designee during such emergency.
5. The County Administrator is hereby authorized to permit other municipalities to perform fire mitigation operations within any fire district in the County. Any fire mitigation operations which require county reimbursement shall be presented to the County Commission for approval.