Midway’s fire station is officially open again.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 20, celebrating with speeches, a fish fry, and a tour of the newly-renovated firehouse.
Fire Chief Craig Reynolds told the crowd, “It’s been a long road and a long journey, but we got here. Got here because all of us together …. We did it for the best interest of the people of Midway.”
Firefighters will start 24-hour shifts in January. A 1999 HME 75-foot ladder truck “should be here in a couple of weeks” and a 750-gallon pumper tanker will arrive in February, he said.
Reynolds thanked Keith Causeway of T.R. Long Engineering for redesigning the fire station’s interior, as well as Fairburn Fire Chief Cornelius Robinson for serving as the city’s consultant on standing up the new department.
“Minutes matter,” Reynolds said, noting a fire can double in size in 30 to 60 seconds. “A house can be consumed in fire in five minutes, and totally completely destroyed in an hour…. A reduction of only two to three minutes can save a life.”
Reynolds said the department knows the layout, alarm system, and fire department connection for each building in the city limits, as well as emergency contacts for businesses. He also said the department has inspected all hydrants. And he said that, 97% of the time, the department is on scene four minutes after dispatch in the daytime, with nighttime responses averaging six minutes.
Washington: ‘Guess what? We did it!’
Washington led citizens on a tour of the newly-remodeled station interior. The former office now houses a big-screen TV. The kitchen, two restrooms, and shower have been updated. A large general-purpose room that had water in a light fixture, damaged acoustic tiles, and black mold at a rotting sill has been subdivided; the station now has sleeping quarters for four, with beds and side tables. A utility room houses an ice machine and hookups for a washer and dryer.
In the garage, three new automatic rollup doors are in place. Two bays had to be raised to accommodate the new trucks.
Mayor Levern Clancy and Washington unveiled a plaque on Engine 13, listing the mayor, council members, Robinson, and City Clerk Lynette Cook-Osborne.
Reynolds praised Washington for her support: “I want to thank her personally for the things she’s done for me and this department. She’s been a team leader. She’s been a godsend to me…. I’m very grateful for her, where I’m at today and where our department’s at, and also the city council members were a big part of it.”
Washington had come under fire from members of the former volunteer fire department, who had alleged she had not been responsive to their requests for basic needs like radio batteries, turnout gear, and working safety equipment. In response, Washington had pointed out racks of new hose she had ordered for the department.
Despite what has become a four-year wait time for new fire truck delivery and a firefighter shortage, Washington told the crowd, “Guess what? We did it. We did it in less than three months, and nobody could believe it…. We were able to borrow the money, and that’s all that matters.”
News sparks change
Dilapidated conditions at the station house came to light in 2024 after The Current GA documented what several of the city’s then-volunteer firefighters described as neglect by city officials. News of the state of the firehouse, as well as of poor relationships between the volunteer service and Washington, brought public attention to issues affecting fire protection for Midway’s residents and businesses.
Clancy ordered the fire station locked, citing safety hazards reported by The Current GA and most of the volunteer firefighters quit on the spot. The city had been advertising firefighter jobs on its website even before the department imploded, and said it would consider asking Liberty County to extend its fire coverage.
Liberty County Fire and Emergency Services had always provided backup for the city as part of standard agreements between neighboring fire jurisdictions. However the county would not take over full coverage without the city committing to paying for those services. The county sought $5.8 million over a 5-year period and suggested Midway could split the cost of a new station house with Riceboro, whose volunteer fire department is severely understaffed and runs on an annual budget of $35,000.
Clancy said $5.8 million was too expensive and Washington and Councilmember Stanley Brown wanted Midway to control its own fire service. Still, the council continued to negotiate with Liberty County. After reaching a tentative agreement last December, Midway pulled out at the last minute.
This enraged residents and businesses whose insurance premiums went up. It also drew the ire of the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council, which regulates fire departments statewide. The council suspended Midway’s fire certification in February, giving it 30 days to fix the problem.
The city hired Robinson, who secured new trucks, gear, and firefighters and negotiated financing for the trucks through Georgia Municipal Association. Robinson had helped Walthourville’s fire department move from volunteer to full-time. By July, the city had its certification back and its new full-time fire department in training.
Walthourville Mayor Sarah B. Hayes said her city had nothing to do with Midway’s fire department issues, Walthourville City Clerk Shana Moss, who held the same position in Fairburn, often was present when Robinson was in town, at key meetings about Midway’s fire department, and showed up for Saturday’s ribbon-cutting. Robinson was not at Saturday’s ceremony.
Neither was longtime Midway firefighter and one-time fire chief Terrell Chipp, due to the death of his father. Reynolds praised Chipp on Dec, 8 for reaching an unconscious 18-month-old in three minutes.
Also present were Walthourville City Councilwoman Bridgette Kelly, sporting WFD’s “What Good Shall We Do Today?” hoodie; District 2 County Commissioner Justin Frasier; Midway Police Chief Bernie Quarterman; and House District 1 Democratic candidate Michael McCord.
Two in three U.S. cities, especially smaller ones, use volunteer instead of full-time fire departments. Most of those volunteers work full-time for other departments.
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