Fire department pay change

The city of Grand Coulee is changing the way it pays for training for its volunteer fire department personnel.

The council has agreed to pay the fire department a fixed monthly fee instead of payment on the number of members who show up for training sessions.

The change was made a week ago, based on a request by fire department Chief Richard Paris.

Paris said the change would satisfy concerns of auditors on the way training payments were paid by the city.

The fire chief told the council that the former payment method had been in place for 36 years.

While Paris proposed a payment now of $500, he indicated a firm payment plan would have to be negotiated between the fire department and the city.

The chief said that he would continue to provide the city with documentation for fire and emergency response training, and for managing, maintaining and coordinating the repair and replacement of the city’s resources assigned to the fire department.