Vote on future of Riverdale Fire Department postponed after public support

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Riverdale residents packed City Hall on Monday to voice their opposition to a proposal to allow Clayton County to take over the city’s fire services.

“We can’t continue losing services. We just can’t do that,” Cathy Loving, a Riverdale resident said.

Loving and others mentioned that the city has allowed the county to take over other services, such as animal control. Residents complained about longer wait times for care, something they don’t know if they can afford in the case of an emergency.

“When you have a mom potentially having a stroke, seconds matter. When you have a house on fire, seconds matter,” Terri Benn, another Riverdale resident, said.

Needing emergency care is not just a hypothetical for her. She’s needed the help of the Riverdale Fire Department.

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“We need quick response, and our firefighters need their jobs,” Benn said.

The meeting became contentious at multiple points before the council decided to postpone a vote and schedule a town hall meeting.

“It could have been better. I’ll tell you the truth, it could have been better,” Riverdale Mayor Evelyn Wynn Dixon said.

The mayor says she still supports the measure because it will save money and improve the rating that many insurance companies use to determine premiums.

“This is really good for our citizens because we will have more access to firemen,” Wynn-Dixon said.

Wynn-Dixon said it could save the city millions. When pressed on where she got those supposed savings, she said the numbers were “speculation.”

The city promised to have a town hall soon.

“Let’s talk about it and look at all the pros and cons—and then let you decide on what you think is best,” Wynn-Dixon said.

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“Yes, they have the resources, but they don’t have the heart. We have the heart,” a Riverdale firefighter said.

Channel 2 Action News is concealing the man’s identity.

According to the firefighter, some current employees would lose their jobs and not be welcomed by the Clayton County Fire Department after the takeover.

He also says response times may worsen for those in the city limits as the county fire departments have more area to be responsible for.

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