Firefighters will meet to talk about Morgan City plan

A meeting between the St. Mary Parish Fire Association and government leaders will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center to discuss Morgan City’s desire to opt out of its current mutual aid pact with all parish fire departments and write individual pacts with fire agencies.
While the 7 p.m. meeting originally was scheduled for Feb. 17, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ closing of all state office buildings that day due to inclement weather forced its postponement.
The meeting comes after Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna, in a Jan. 28 letter set to the parish government and fire departments, said the city was giving its 90-day notice before opting out, as per the stipulation outlined in the agreement.
He noted finances as the reasoning for the move, specifically pointing to Berwick and Amelia as examples of where the city is providing more aid than it receives. Dragna said the city should be compensated for its work.
Even after the city’s 90-day opt out period ended, however, Dragna said the city still would help its neighbors fight fires.
After pushback at the city council meeting, Dragna agreed to rescind the letter and attend the fire department association meeting to state the city’s stance.
Amelia and Berwick officials defended their communities in response to Dragna’s allegations.
The Amelia Volunteer Fire Department, in a letter signed by President Joseph Foret, outlined the levels of certification of department members through LSU.
Foret also wrote that from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020, the department responded to four calls in Morgan City and has requested the Morgan City Fire Department’s assistance five times.
Meanwhile, Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur said the town of Berwick would not be paying Morgan City for its fire service.
Arthur said in the last two years, the Berwick Volunteer Fire Department has requested mutual aid from Morgan City once, in 2019, and he said that call was canceled before Morgan City arrived.