THOMASVILLE — City of Thomasville and Thomas County fire talks continue, but not with each other.

As Thomas County commissioners discuss the purchase of a $500,000 ladder truck for county government’s fire department, Thomasville Fire/Rescue inevitably surfaces.

Until Jan. 1, Thomasville and Thomas County contracted — for four decades — for city fire protection in two county fire zones. County government’s fire department was largely a volunteer operation.

County commissioners said the city’s 2008 contract proposal was too expensive, and revamping of the county fire department began.

“There’s a misconception that it’s all about ISO (Insurance Services Office). It’s not about ISO. It’s about saving lives and property,” commission Vice Chairman Moses Gross said during a Monday night board meeting at which he presided.

Gross said the city has refused to enter an agreement with the county. “How many times do they have to tell us no?” he asked.

If the city fire chief decides not to respond to a county request, “We’re tough out of luck,” Commissioner Elaine Mays said.

Thomasville City Manager Steve Sykes said Tuesday that city fire-rescue has agreed to provide aid to the county fire department.

“Since Jan. 1, 2008, Thomasville Fire/Rescue has been dispatched 19 times to incidents in unincorporated Thomas County. Likewise, we have responded 19 times to incidents in unincorporated Thomas County. We will continue to respond when we are requested and when we have the resources available,” Sykes said in a written statement.

“The county’s purchase of a ladder truck is really not a city matter as long as city residents’ taxes are not used to purchase the vehicle,” the statement continued. “City taxpayers should not be burdened with any additional responsibility for funding county services.”

“I’m not aware of that,” county fire Chief Chris Jones said, when asked about the 19 city responses.

Jones said city fire/rescue has been requested twice outside the city since Jan. 1.

“I personally requested them twice, and those are the only requests made,” Jones told the Times-Enterprise Tuesday.

Jones said Sykes must be referring to medical calls. Dispatch, he added, is specific in dispatching appropriate units to calls.

The chief said that if he had the locations and dates of the calls, he would know the incidents to which Sykes referred.