Bulloch County Fire Chief of Training Mitch Sikes spoke candidly before the Kiwanis Club on Thursday, May 8, offering a detailed look at the current transformation of the Bulloch County Fire Department, including the county’s upcoming takeover of fire protection in the five-mile district surrounding Statesboro.
The presentation came at a critical moment for the department, which is balancing rapid growth, infrastructure demands, and public concern about service continuity and insurance impacts.
“We’re always excited to talk about the fire department,” Sikes said in opening remarks. “I know we've been in the media a lot lately, and there’s a lot of questions out there. I’ll do my best to explain where we are—and where we’re going.”
A Shift Toward a Career Fire Service
Sikes outlined how the department has evolved since 2019, when the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners decided to begin incorporating full-time career firefighters into what had long been a largely volunteer system. At that time, Sikes left his previous role and joined the county to help build a more robust department from the ground up.
“We’ve continued to grow,” he said. “Currently, we operate out of three staffed fire stations, each with three-person engine companies. And we’re not done—we’re adding more.”
That growth has become especially urgent with the county’s decision to end its longstanding fire protection contract with the City of Statesboro. That contract, which Sikes said included restrictive stipulations on infrastructure development, had prevented Bulloch County from building its own fire stations within five miles of city limits or within the defined fire district.
With the agreement set to expire on July 1, the county is rapidly building the capacity to independently cover that service area, including the addition of a new station on Fair Road near the Kiwanis Fairgrounds, a new station inside the EMS Station on Grady Street, the renovation of the Clito station, and the hiring of 37 new firefighters.
“We’ve already brought on about 25 people,” Sikes noted. “We’ve got two recruit classes going right now and more hires on the way. Equipment is being delivered. Infrastructure is coming online. Everything is scheduled to be in place before July.”
He acknowledged public skepticism about the speed and scope of the transition, but emphasized that planning had been underway long before the contract officially ended. “We didn’t just start figuring this out a few months ago,” he said. “We’ve been building toward this moment.”
The Only Difference Will Be the Name on the Truck
One of the central messages Sikes sought to convey was continuity of service. Despite the jurisdictional shift, residents in the affected area should see no disruption in emergency response.
“If you live in the five mile area, you should never see any difference,” he said. “The only thing different will be the name on the side of the truck.”
He explained that the county will mirror the level of service Statesboro previously provided, and in some areas, add enhancements like medical response. “For the last two years, we’ve been responding to medical calls in coordination with EMS. That’s something we’ll bring into to the five mile area now as well.”
Sikes also noted that EMS personnel are expanding their presence alongside fire crews, including a planned addition of an EMS crew at the new station on Highway 67 and an offer to add a crew at the expanded station in Clito.
Addressing ISO Ratings and Homeowners’ Insurance
One of the most frequent questions from the public, Sikes said, relates to insurance premiums and ISO fire protection classifications.
Statesboro Fire maintains an ISO Class 2 rating. Bulloch County is currently rated as Class 4y, depending on how far a property is from an accredited water source. The new area being absorbed was previously covered under the city’s rating, and some residents are now worried that a county takeover could raise their insurance premiums.
“We’ve checked with multiple insurance providers, and yes, there may be an increase,” Sikes acknowledged. “But in most cases we’ve seen, it’s between $65 and $85 per year. A few were a bit higher, but none were extreme.”
He emphasized that the county is actively working to improve its ISO rating by increasing staff and ensuring better water access. “We missed Class 3 last time by a small margin, and a lot of that had to do with personnel. We’re fixing that now.”
Residents living further out expressed concern about lack of fire hydrants. Sikes explained that water sources used for ISO scoring must be accredited through a 50-year drought study, which the county completed for about 50 locations several years ago. Private citizens can commission such studies themselves, but he warned the cost is prohibitive.
Station Locations, Efficiency, and Long-Term Planning
During the Q&A session, Sikes faced questions about the proximity of some stations—particularly the temporary use of the EMS station on Grady Street, which sits right next door to a Statesboro fire station. Some Kiwanis members raised concerns about redundancy and long-term efficiency.
Sikes defended the locations as necessary to meet ISO coverage requirements and serve the newly acquired district immediately. “We weren’t allowed to plan for this area until the contract ended,” he said. “Now that it has, we’re acting quickly and pragmatically.”
He stressed that the current setup is part of a short-term plan designed to ensure continuous coverage. Long-term build outs are being guided by a countywide GIS analysis that maps optimal station placement based on response times and service areas.
“We want to reach 99% of the county with adequate coverage,” he said. “But that takes funding and time.”
Volunteers Remain a Backbone
Sikes reaffirmed the essential role of the department’s volunteer firefighters. “We still have about 50 volunteers, and they remain the backbone of our department,” he said. “We continue to train them, support them, and rely on them.”
He added that volunteer recruitment and retention remains a challenge across the country, but efforts are ongoing—led in part by longtime department member Pat Jones, who was recognized during the meeting for her decades of service.
Mutual Aid, Not Automatic Aid
The question of intergovernmental cooperation loomed over the presentation, especially following the county’s departure from the automatic aid agreement with the city. While both sides met to discuss terms, Sikes confirmed that Statesboro ultimately opted not to renew automatic aid.
Instead, the two departments will operate under a mutual aid agreement, meaning that assistance will be dispatched upon request rather than automatically.
“We’ll still help each other—it’ll just take a call,” Sikes said. “Neither of us is big enough to go it alone.”
In closing, Sikes invited residents to reach out with questions or concerns. “If you call, we’re coming,” he said. “Fire, fall, medical issue—whatever you need. That’s what we’re here for.”
