Fire Protection Discussed

Fire protection was the single item on the agenda of a joint meeting of members of the City Commission and Cedar Key Water and Sewer District on March 17. Levy County Commission Chair Lillie Rooks also attended the meeting.

James McCain, Chief of the Cedar Key Volunteer Fire Department and Robert Robinson provided technical information regarding ways to improve the department`s ability to fight fires in the Piney Point area of the island where a few residents have annexed into the city. The problem of areas on the island that have not been considered by a risk rating agency as having adequate protection was discussed.

Commissioner Vanessa Edmunds told Cedar Key News that just after the meeting the areas in question have now been rated as having protection. However, the risk rating will no doubt be a high level.

An interim solution to a supply of fire water for the Piney Point area is a "dump tank", which is a temporary tank assembled near a fire as a reservoir that can receive water from a tanker truck. Eventually, a tanker truck may be purchased with a federal grant.