Rossville public safety director Sid Adams, who also serves as the city’s police chief, counters that Coffey has his facts completely wrong.
The fire broke out June 8 at Rossville Metals Recycling, a business on the mill property. The mill itself was shut down many years ago.
Coffey said employees were working on a vehicle with a blowtorch, which caused a propane tank to explode and ignited vehicle gas tanks.
Coffey claims it took the fire department, which is near the mill property, about 14 minutes to arrive after the blaze was reported.
Coffey, who was not at the mill at the time of the fire, said an eyewitness told him about the time delay.
“People have to come to their own conclusion as to why it took them that long to get there,” Coffey said.
“I refuse to express my own personal opinions,” he added.
Coffey said there was no water available for employees to put out the fire. “Someone had intentionally turned the water off to the fire hydrant,” Coffey said.
Once the employees realized there was no water, they called the fire department, Coffey said.
Coffey said he was told the fire department took “14-some-odd minutes to arrive” after the fire was called in. Additional fire trucks took another “10 minutes to arrive,” he said. Another 20-30 minutes elapsed before water ar-rived, he said.
Public safety director Adams said Coffey is seriously misinformed. He said the fire call came into dispatch at 2:33 p.m. and a fire truck was sent at 2:34 p.m. A fire truck arrived on the scene at 2:38 p.m. with 750 gallons of water, he said. Two more fire trucks were sent to the scene, as well as a ladder truck, he said.
The second truck laid a line to pump water from Williams Street, near the old Rossville High School, to the mill to have an additional water.
Coffey and the city of Rossville have been at odds for the past few years regarding the mill property, including ownership of sewerage lines.
Coffey filed a lawsuit, claiming he owned the lines and the city owed him $985,000 for using them. Coffey was ar-rested on Feb. 16 when he threatened to pour concrete in the lines to block usage. In March, a federal judge ruled in the city’s favor.
When police issued an arrest warrant on May 26, Coffey fled, according to an incident report. As of June 15, the warrant is outstanding.
Considering the fire was directly across the street from the fire station 14 minutes was ridiculous. Also to only send on truck was even crazier. If you were to go pull the report they acknowledge only sending one truck at first.
I think the fire report clearly states the fire hydrants were not working and had been turned off. I am not accusing, but one certain fireman and policeman was inquiring a couple of days previously as to where our security cameras were located. The city has been known and acknowledged they have turned water off to the site previously and their lawyer had to make them turn it back on. They also have on more than one occasion tunred off the water source we have and own running from the duck pond.
In this instance the city's games have created a real problem for them.
Channel 9 "Scroggins says at 2:47 p.m. ladder one truck started spraying the fire. That's 14 minutes after the call."
He didnt say it took 14 min to arrive, he said it took 14 min to start spraying the fire.
14 min is not that much time to begin with, but it is quick enough for me. I hate it for the busyness, but remember, we are not talking about a simple electrical fire, there were expoloding tanks. 5 min sooner would not have made any difference.
What a feud! Lots of people wanting to get in on this one.
He's coming to Ringgold
The facts of the fire will come out. Otherwise due to the serious nature of such and an ongoing investigation I will say no more.
I did want to point out to those readers that are in fact interested in the truth and what goes on in their community the following
Teddy Harris a Rossville city council member who had higher political aspirations runs several Facebook pages. They are John Ross house, Rossville Georgia, Rossville alumni page. He had been posting and asking people to boycott UCTV and Judy O Neal. He was mad at her because she posed some serious questions to him. He claims his pages are for positive information however he uses them to slander anyone he perceives to be a threat to his ambitions or simply does nit agree with him. He also claims the pages are an open forum when in fact he blocks and deletes any people or comments that does not make him look good.
Then when others called him out on this conduct he claimed I had been running these very pages. That many of you know belongs to Teddy. Maybe you should take the tine to call Judy at UCTV and ask her about it. Then again simply call Joyce Wall or Rick Buff and see what they think about these pages and the things that Teddy has been posting.
I would also like to point out I am the only person that post under my name. Maybe all you other folks should show your face so the public can see if you are a real concerned citizen or simply Teddy hiding behind more propaganda machines.
No matter how you slice it I am the only person to step up and state my ideas thoughts and beliefs in my own name. I think that should speak volumes about who is telling the truth and who is not.
Rusty Martin wrote: I googled OSHA website. Interestingly enough the first two words in Reg 1915.505 concerning fire response was Employer Responsibilities, the next words in bold type were Required Written Policy Information, the next item was Outside Fire R...esponse and Liaison With. Les you really enjoy posting documents on here. Can you post a copy of your fire response policy or any internal firefighting procedures or any coordination with outside fire response? do you have any documenation for internal fire response training? Very interesting reading if anyone wants to read it on OSHA Fire Response.
Arguing facts with someone who makes up his own is futile.
And also, how would you know of an official report? You are claiming 8 days and no report made. Where if you tried to obtain said hard copy you would be arrested. The digital version is another case.
And this article has 1360 views and now 9 comments in just one day.
I'd say that justifies this paper/business in posting this - the "crap" about this "idiot" entertains and perhaps somewhat informs the readers. Kinda like a lot of things I could say about things in this world - Not interested? Walk on by...
Les may not be as dumb as y'all are claiming. Just look at the ad up in the righthand corner (What goes around comes around !)
Delusion: A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.
Sociopath: One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior.
Leslie has lied so much and for so long that his lies are now the truth, in his mind anyway. Convincing him otherwise is impossible. The worst part about his posts is that a random crazy person agrees with his ramblings, which adds fuel to the blazing inferno of his mind (pun only slightly intended). He will not go away until he is put away, in a cell. Even then, he will continue to hold onto his delusions. Have you ever seen an interview of Charlie Manson or the Zodiak Killer? I am not comparing the crimes, but I am comparing the sociopathic mentalities of these criminals. They spout so much garbage that they have convinced themselves and even some around them that they are right.
I truly feel sorry for you as it is apparent you are too close to the situation to be objective. If I had a way to post the affidavit scroggins signed on here I would. You and anyone else can see it by calling Kathy at magistrate court. I am sure she will fax you a copy. All you have to do is go online to news 9 and see the video yourself.
Scroggins said what he said. I am sure he put those words in Marks mouth just as he put words in Rhondas mouth and many others. He has a history of doing this stuff. I am sorry you have been used. Scroggins is a user and liar. He is a pedophile and stalker. He is an abuser. His history is documented
Unfortunately Mark Harris and many others will be dealing with the aftermath of scroggins actions for a long time to come.
Teddy Harris is apparently no better. Trying to get people to boycott UCTV because they aired the video of him participating in a frame up.
Tell Mark as I know you have ties to him that he needs to get away from these folks fast. He is a better person than what they are dragging him down too. There are others in Rossville that are better and deserve better than what the current regime has to offer. If they will stand up and speak the truth in the end they will be better off.
When you hang with a crook you can bet they will eventually turn on you.
You do not get a pass here on this matter because you are always wrong. You lie. You make things up that are not true. Dave Scroggins never did anything of the sort. This is just another wishful fabrication on your part because you are in one heap o' trouble and you have consistently proven that you are a lying liar telling lies. The city has never admitted to anything except in your feverish imagination.
Look, everyone is entitled to their own opinion,but everybody is not entitled to their own facts.The fact is that you are a scofflaw that will do anything or say anything if you stand to gain.Every cockamamie accusation and wild charge that you have made over the last couple of years has been found to be nonsense. I am simply calling you out and telling you that I am not buying your lies.
Tick, Les.
Tock, Les.
Every tick,every tock gets you closer to the pen where you belong.
Gonna miss you,buddy.
Go look at the affidavit scroggins signed. See for yourself if he did not say Mark Harris crawled through the pipe from the city side of McFarland. Go look at the story on news 9
The problem is scroggins lies so much he can't keep up with them.
The fact is the city admitted to everything I say.
You are making stuff up. The fire department is not perfect (none are),but they just put out fires.
They need to change the air in your bunker,Les.
Let's see here the fire department does not play politics. I am just wondering then. David Scroggins took a warrant for my arrest based upon Mark Harris saying he crawled from the city side of McFarland ave through the storm sewer to find a blockage. Maybe Mark should get some glasses out and look at the size of pants he wears. Then maybe he should go tell the judge that issued the warrant that he did not and could not have crawled over 200 feet through a sewer line that was 24 inches in diameter. So Mark if you are not playing politics then you should set the record strait. Also since they do not play politics then Josh Garrison needs to tell us who directed him to come run our guard off. As he said I am only doing what my boss said.
The fact is it is all about politics.
The city of Rossville is not run by clairvoyant geniuses.We can all agree on that. But to impugn the fire department by quoting this guy...
Since I am sure that this goofburger will respond-Les, just turn yourself in. End this stupid drama.