Biscoe Board Confirms New Fire Chief ♥

Published in the Courier-Tribune on January 14, 2011

by Hugh Martin

Biscoe - The Biscoe Board of Commissioners confirmed Alan Griffin as the new Chief of the town’s volunteer fire department during their regular monthly meeting, held Monday January 10, at the Biscoe Municipal Building.

Griffin, a Biscoe native, has worked in the fire service since 1993 and joined the Biscoe department in 2007.  He succeeds Ricky Watts in the position and is the tenth chief of the Biscoe Fire Department since its organization in 1950.

Griffin works as the full-time Director of Montgomery County Emergency Services. During the confirmation proceeding, Commissioner Mike Criscoe expressed a concern that there may be the possibility of a conflict if Griffin is managing a fire scene that may require him to also assume the responsibilities of Emergency Services Director.

After the meeting, Griffin said chiefs of volunteer fire departments have regular jobs and an assistant takes over when a chief cannot respond to a fire and Biscoe has a very good staff of volunteers.

"It is also common for EMS directors to hold volunteer positions because we all started as volunteers," Griffin said.

Griffin expressed his appreciation to Mayor Jimmy Blake and board members, including Criscoe, John Beard, Jerry Smith and Gene Anderson. He stated that it is an honor to serve and he is looking forward to working with the board.

In other business the board:

• Approved a special expenditure of up to $30,000 to be used for the purchase of thirteen mobile and three portable radios for the police department. The radios will operate on the new VIPER system that is being phased in in Montgomery County before the year 2013.  The approved expenditure is contingent on the approval of matching funds by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

• Heard Mayor Blake’s report on his activities on behalf of the town since the last meeting. Blake reported that he had attended an RPO meeting in Greensboro; attended a general session of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments in Greensboro; met with representatives of a firm that had expressed interest in the old Pine Hosiery building in the industrial park but had decided against the venture; attended a Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Troy; met with engineers from W.K. Dickson regarding installing sewer service to the east side of the interstate; attended an Economic Development Committee meeting in Troy; attended a 90^th Anniversary celebration at the Grede company and toured the facility in Biscoe; attended the grand opening of Premier Accounting & Business Consultants, a new business on West Main Street in Biscoe.