During a Public Safety Committee meeting Wednesday, Selma Fire Department (SFD) Acting Chief Chris Graham announced that Station 5, in the Cedar Park area, would close Thursday due to a shortage of manpower.

“We’re losing firefighters at an alarming rate,” Graham said. “We don’t have enough men to actually run the fire trucks like we should.”

Graham said the shortage has arisen due to a combination of low pay – Selma firefighters are currently being paid a little more than $28,000 while firefighters in Prattville are being paid more than $37,000 – and long hours.

According to Graham, the department is functioning at 53 percent of its prescribed manpower.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Selma Police Department (SPD) Chief Spencer Collier discussed the recent response to an incident at Selma High School, in which SPD officers responded to a possible active shooter.

Though no active shooter was present, Collier said officers collaborated well with school officials but still have room for improvement.

For that reason, Collier is planning active shooter training for the department over the summer.

Collier noted that there have been three homicides in Selma this year, but that progress is being made to curb the rash of violent crime in the city.

“I don’t like to talk numbers, because the only acceptable number is zero,” Collier said. “I know the problem is not solved, but hopefully [people] are noticing a decrease in shots fired.”

Selma City Councilwoman Jannie Thomas, a member of the committee, brought up the concerns of citizens regarding unsolved cases and Collier noted two initiatives that are aimed at tackling the problem.

The first is a partnership with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) to establish a task force of retired law enforcement agents to look into older cold cases.

“We’re just in the beginning stages of this,” Collier said. “Every case is important.”

The second revolves around a separate task force that will look into more recent unsolved cases.

Plans are also moving forward to establish a Citizens Review Board, which will assist in finding ways for the SPD to better connect with the community.

“It’s important that we make the connection between the community and the police department,” said Selma City Council President Corey Bowie.