State Investigating Mandated Fire Department Funding

Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

The State of Tennessee is investigating mandated public funding for all Fire Departments across the State. Locally, Jefferson County contributes $55,000 to County Departments and municipalities also contribute funding to those departments located inside the City limits. The current level of funding may not be enough to meet the State mandate, should the legislature decide to make the jump to publicly funded fire service. The issue is currently being studied by the TACIR in response to Joint House Resolution 204. The joint resolution passed the House but was held up in the Senate, however the issue was considered of such importance that a report was generated to address the questions of the resolution, namely the financial impact of making fire service an essential government service and the impact of funding that service on local governments. Though there has been a significant decrease in fire deaths in Tennessee over the last decade, it is still in the top ten jurisdictions for highest fire deaths Nationwide. Lack of definition of what constitutes an essential service, as well as what is considered fully funded, in regards to fire service, has been left largely to local interpretation. Funding avenues for local governments, as well as professional vs. wholly volunteer departments, have also been a concern on the legislative floor. Information provided by the report will allow legislators to approach the issue with some knowledge base and to address the State wide need for adequately funded fire protection.

Jefferson County currently has nine Fire Departments that serve the various areas of the community. Of the nine, all but one, Jefferson City Fire Department, are considered totally volunteer, though some of the volunteers are professional fire fighters that are employed in other areas and donate their time locally. All but New Market Fire Department are listed as publicly funded, according to the report. (Parrotts Chapel information was not available). Dandridge, Jefferson City, White Pine and Baneberry are all associated with municipalities and the remainders are listed as non profit. Fire Department funding, as well as sub station location and funding, has been a recent topic of interest in Jefferson Count and has been the subject of study by the Jefferson Count Public Service Committee. At question was a formula to adequately fund local departments and fully provide service across the County while addressing the varying degree to which individual departments respond to emergency calls. Local Departments offer Mutual Aid, which affords better coverage to all residents but blurs the lines in regard to independent call volume as a method of funding.

Should legislators decide to act on the findings of the recent report, it could alter the face of fire fighting in the County and State, moving toward more combination departments and determining the guidelines of service per resident.

The report was transmitted to the Honorable Beth Harwell, Speaker of the House, for review.