Commissioners vote to dissolve county fire department

By HANNAH ROMERO

Staff Writer

The Sweetwater County Fire Department will soon be a thing of the past after the Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a plan which will close the county fire department and contract its services out to existing fire agencies in the county.

“In no way is county fire (protection) going to be eliminated, reduced — if anything it will be enhanced,” Commissioner Mary Thoman said.

At the last commission meeting March 1, the commissioners discussed the findings of the Sweetwater County Fire Committee, which was formed to examine fire service in t...