ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The fire department fight in the City of Riverdale continues after the Clayton County Board of Commission tabled a proposal on Tuesday to consolidate the city's fire department with the county to save money and resources.
While the debate continues, 11Alive spoke with the fire chief of Rockdale County, whose department has been serving all of the communities within their county for decades.
Chief Marian McDaniel is the first female and first African American female to become the chief of Rockdale County Fire Rescue. She carries a lot on her shoulders -- overseeing over 100 fire personnel while serving a county of just under 100,000 residents.
“I oversee Rockdale County Fire Rescue, which encompasses nine fire stations, currently. We’re looking to open our 10th fire station this June," added Chief McDaniel.
Her department provides fire protection for all cities throughout the county, including Conyers, which they consolidated back in the 1990s. And she said she believes having one agency is what makes them so successful.
"You dial 911, and the call may be in the city or the county…that's time," Chief McDaniel said. "Eliminating that confusion, so when you dial 911, you're directed to the right place -- the only place to get help."
The consolidation of fire services in Rockdale County is the kind of model that nearby Riverdale is looking for within its own county, but leaders recently tabled the decision following resident concerns over the impact on response times.
But at least for Rockdale County, Chief McDaniel said that's never become an issue for her department.
“There’s not a fire station in every community, but there’s territories. With that design, we average a five-minute or less response time," she said.
Rockdale County has overseen fire services for all 132 square miles of the county since 1992 -- a load that Chief McDaniel said she doesn't take lightly.
"We don't take serving the community a burden," the chief said. "It's an honor to be able to provide that assistance and that care that the community needs at the time."