(KOXE Photo:  Comanche Fire Chief, Steven Gillette, in front of podium answering questions from Comanche City Council in a meeting on Monday, April 8, 2019)

More than 50 citizens of Comanche County crowded into the downtown EDC building Monday night, April 8, for the Comanche City Council meeting.  The majority of the crowd was there in support of the Comanche Volunteer Fire Department.  The Comanche VFD is an independent non-profit, all-volunteer department with about 20 active members. They contract their services to Comanche County and the City of Comanche.  For about seven months, the Fire Department has not had a contract with the City which means the annual funding of $127,000 from the City isn’t there.  Fire Chief, Steven Gillette, said the main point of contention originally was for the building that the volunteers built with donated money.  “For several years, you know, we signed contracts with the City, contracting with them for fire service that that (building) was listed as our asset.  This year they approved the money for the new contract, which stayed the same as last year, nothing in the contracts have changed, but this year they, I guess, maybe discovered that was on there and they thought that it was their asset and refused to sign the contract based on that asset being theirs,” Gillette said.

The Comanche VFD received more than $430,000 in 2002 from the Medford Stephens estate, money which was used to construct a 7,300 square foot addition to the fire station, Gillette said.  The fire department has presented Council a compilation of fire department income and expenses as it relates to the fund where city money is involved. There was no action taken by the City Council but a statement from the Mayor, Ronnie Clifton, to do all the City can to get back with the fire department as soon as possible and perhaps hold a special meeting.  Even without city funding for the past seven months, the Department continues to respond to all calls in Comanche and throughout the county and recently held a very successful fish fry fundraiser to support their efforts.  This year 850 plates of food were served.  “The public really invests in us,” Gillette said.