Georgia City Sues County Over Emergency Response

Posted by: Curt Varone August 15, 2016 0

A dispute between a city and a county in Georgia over the delivery of emergency services has spilled over into the courts. The City of Tifton is suing Tift County to stop the county from providing vehicle extrication and rescue services within the city’s corporate limits.

The parties jointly managed the Tifton Fire Department under an inter-local agreement until last year, when the county decided to part ways and start its own fire department. The county’s withdrawal was effective June 30, 2016, coinciding with the operational activation of the Tift County Fire & Rescue.

The city alleges that on June 13, the county indicated its intention to deliver extrication services in Tifton, prompting it to inform the county of its intention to perform those services after July 1.

The city claims the Georgia Constitution prohibits a county from providing services within a municipality without a contract with the municipality affected. It seeks an order prohibiting Tift County Fire Rescue from providing fire and emergency rescue services inside the corporate limits of Tifton.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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