South Union-Oconee partnership

An agreement struck last night in the county council chambers brings a long-time Oconee rural fire station under the umbrella of county emergency services.  Chris Smith, county fire chief, says the partnership means the long-time volunteer South Union Fire Department gets resources through the county’s growing contingent of full-time, paid fire fighters.  And a South Union department founder, Mendel Stone, followed Smith’s remarks to the council by emphasizing that South Union is no longer able to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers to protect its s. highway 11 area service territory.  Stone, now 80 years old, was a founder of the South Union station some 50 years ago.