Jolly times on fireboat rile town officials

June 29 More photos are coming from residents who spotted the Cornelius fireboat at the Sandbar, the well-known party site on Lake Norman. Photos sent by boaters to Cornelius Today last month showed the $400,000 fireboat at the popular Sandbar in Lake Norman where boat parties abound.

Now more photos are coming in from local boaters. They are dated before concerns were brought to the town’s and the fire chief’s attention late in June.

Town fireboat at The Sandbar: Sent by an anonymous SoundOff reader who lives in Cornelius

“We are very disappointed in this behavior and the appropriate use of the town's fireboat is being addressed with the volunteer firemen,” said Jeff Hare, a member of the Cornelius Town Board.

In a written response to the first complaint, which ran in the SoundOff section of Cornelius Today, Fire Chief James Barbee said “civilians asked if a boat safety check could be done fearing they
were not in compliance” with boating safety rules and regulations.

Town Manager Anthony Roberts was more strident: “The Cornelius Board of Commissioners intends to further discuss proper use of the boat with Chief Barbee. The fire boat is ONLY to be used for fire/medic related training and calls and incidentally used for public contact and education. Any other use than these intended purposes will not be condoned or tolerated by the Town Administration and Board.”

Chief Barbee said there was no alcohol involved in the first set of fireboat photos. He did not respond to questions about the second set of fireboat photos.

Mayor Jeff Tarte said: “Know I have responded to this matter with all the appropriate parties.  Everyone know we appreciate the diligence by all to ensure community assets and funds are used appropriately and thoughtfully.”