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JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF

COTTONWOOD SHORES — City Council members reasserted their support for the Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department during their regular meeting June 5, rescinding their previous vote of no confidence.

The council on May 15 passed a vote of no confidence with the department. During this fiscal year, the city pays $33,000 to the department.

Volunteer members and residents packed the meeting room to address the council.

“Maybe, we are starting to begin some communication which we haven’t had in some time,” said Mayor Donald Orr, who was unable to attend the meeting. “(The department) had answers to questions the council had. There’s a good dialogue, and we’re going down the right path.”

Orr said the vote of no confidence stemmed from a few concerns about the department but mostly boiled down to communication.

“If we can continue the communication, we can get over most of the issues,” he said.

Orr said the department has responded to calls, but officials had questioned the department’s equipment and number of trained firefighters.

Assistant Chief Travis Hockensmith addressed those concerns during the council meeting.

Hockensmith said the volunteer department has 16 members and two in the application process. There are five certified firefighters, three emergency medical technicians and one EMT/paramedic, he added.

Contract negotiations between the city and the volunteer department will continue through the summer.

jared@thepicayune.com