Volunteer firefighters claim Partridge locked them out

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
August 3, 2004
One reason Lauderdale County volunteer firefighters say they cannot work under H.C. "Bunky" Partridge is because he locked them out of Meridian's training center when he was placed in charge of it last year.
Larry Bradley is a former chief of the Long Creek Volunteer Fire Department and is still an active volunteer.
Butler said he usually was able to get volunteers access to the training center after a couple of phone calls.
Partridge said it isn't true that county volunteer firefighters were kept out of the training center, but he acknowledged they had to go through Butler to request access.
District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt said he was not aware that volunteers were being kept from the training center. But, a letter to volunteer firefighters from all supervisors dated Friday said the new operation the county is seeking with the city "would allow all county volunteer firemen to have access to the training facility located within the city of Meridian, and would allow for a combined effort in getting state and federal grants."
That letter was in response to a letter to supervisors from the Bailey Volunteer Fire Department, signed by fire chiefs or representatives of the chiefs from all 16 county volunteer fire departments, stating they do not want emergency management services put under any organization other than Lauderdale County.
Farrah Grisham, fire chief of South Volunteer Fire Department told supervisors Monday that county firefighters are not against an inter-local agreement with Meridian.