• 48°
franklin county times

Three I

By Staff
June 22, 2003
Making sense of the most recent changes at the Three I Corp., the safety training center on Sand Flat Road, is difficult. Let us just say that the center's future today as an independent facility is somewhat cloudy because the city of Meridian has swooped down and scooped it up.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, the city opted to cancel the center's lease and take back full control of the facilities. This action came only months after Meridian Fire Chief H.C. "Bunky" Partridge had given up his dual roles as both the center's director and city fire chief in an apparent settlement of an ethics complaint.
Three I's current managers said very clearly they believe the city's decision to terminate their lease and take back control was designed to put Partridge back in charge.
In a news story published last week in The Meridian Star, Partridge admitted that he had difficulty accepting a lesser role in Three I, once even threatening in a pique of temper to "tear Three I down." He may yet succeed; as it stands now, he is likely to inherit the facility's management again.
With the city of Meridian controlling the purse strings, it remains to be seen whether Lauderdale County law enforcement agencies and emergency personnel from other places will continue to use the facility on Sand Flat Road. Already, Three I, a non-profit organization designed to prepare firefighters, law officers and other to handle disasters or emergency situations, is looking for new space.
If Three I was an experiment in intergovernmental relations, in cooperative training of emergency personnel, it seems to have failed. If Three I was created just to get more federal money into Meridian, it seems to have succeeded, but at the price of good relations among all interested parties.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x