Carroll County government has agreed to conduct a ‘public safety and emergency services study and review’ for the Fairfield Plantation community—in part, to determine what services for the residents of the gated community are most efficient and effective.

The study comes in response to a power point presentation developed by one member of the Fairfield Board of Directors which concludes that ‘the need for Fairfield to continue self-funding a fire station within the community has become obsolete and redundant,” with the operations of Carroll County Fire Stations three and 18, being within five miles of every Fairfield home. The board member suggests that Fairfield continue to provide its own EMS services.

As part of the ongoing study, Carroll County Fire is testing call and response times compared to the same from the Fairfield Fire Department which located near the center of the community. Other things to consider include the number of times over the last few years that Carroll County trucks were responding to calls within their own fire districts around the same time Fairfield Fire and EMS were responding to a call in their community.

Residents within and outside of Fairfield are wondering how closing down the Fairfield Fire Department may affect their ISO ratings.

Carroll County Commission Chairman, Michelle Morgan said the county hopes the study will provide adequate information for Fairfield residents if the community ultimately determines they will close their own department and rely on Carroll County’s departments.

Both the Fairfield Property Owners Association and Carroll County Government insist that no decisions have been made; and, the review is in a preliminary study stage.