Smyrna Fire Department Chief Goss told the Smyrna Town Council on July 8 that the department has seen a sharp rise in emergency medical calls this year and proposed staffing and operational changes intended to improve training and EMS oversight.

Goss said EMS calls grew from roughly 30% of the department's call volume early this year to about 72% since January, and that overall calls for service are up about 200% year‑to‑date. "Taking on these calls was the right thing to do," he said, adding that Smyrna crews now arrive at nearly half of medical scenes before Rutherford County ambulances.

Why it matters: The town's fire department is increasingly functioning as first responders to medical emergencies, placing new demands on training, scheduling and equipment. Chief Goss told the council the department needs dedicated leadership and a clearer operating structure to maintain response quality and regulatory compliance.

What the chief proposed and why: Goss described a recent job‑task analysis and administrative restructuring. The department will retain a single assistant chief role (Cameron Phelps was named second‑in‑command) and retitle remaining assistant chief roles as division chiefs, including naming James Lawrence division chief of community risk reduction for codes, plan review and fire prevention. The department also plans to permanently reinstate a training chief position (Lieutenant Bert Wilson has been filling in) and to create an administrative captain for EMS operations to begin Jan. 1. The EMS captain would oversee EMS training, quality assurance, licensure compliance and liaison duties with Rutherford County EMS.

Goss said the training chief and EMS captain positions could be funded without increasing the FY2026 budget by reallocating personnel funding: the fiscal year 2026 budget included six new firefighter positions; the proposal would reduce that to four and move the saved funds into the training chief now and the EMS captain later. "These adjustments essentially maintain budget neutrality," he said.

Operational changes discussed: The chief outlined a possible 'fast car' response model to handle high‑demand EMS areas using smaller, more nimble SUVs or pickups to respond quickly to medical calls while leaving larger apparatus for fires and major incidents. Goss said the department would trial the program using trucks already assigned to each station and, if successful, request dedicated vehicles in a future budget.

Coordination with county services and dispatch: Goss emphasized the department is not attempting to duplicate Rutherford County EMS transport; Smyrna intends to provide advanced first response within the limits of its crews' licensure. The department discussed emergency medical dispatch (EMD) training for dispatch staff to improve call triage, but Goss said staffing limits in the dispatch center could make adding EMD responsibilities difficult. He said the department reviewed more than 200 CAD calls to refine response decisions and found roughly 94% were legitimate medical calls.

Council questions and clarifications: Council members asked how the fast‑car vehicles would be funded; Goss said the department would use assigned pickup trucks for a trial and seek budget approval for dedicated vehicles later if the trial succeeded. On scope of care, Goss clarified that minimum licensure in Smyrna is Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) with some EMTs among staff and that under the agreement with Rutherford County EMS personnel operate to the level of their licensure. On overtime and sleep‑time pay, Goss said current overtime has not risen proportionally with call volume and that the department currently pays just over 4% of sleep‑time hours.

Response on the interstate and annexation issues: The chief said Smyrna has begun talks with the county about responding to a four‑mile stretch of I‑24 where response times had been 20 minutes or more; he described a plan to begin responding on that section around Sept. 1 after policy and training are complete. He also said response to newly annexed areas (for example along State Route 840) will be addressed via policy determinations with the town manager.

Decision/direction: The staffing and operational changes were presented as chief recommendations; council asked questions but took no formal vote during the meeting. Chief Goss said the training chief appointment would be made by the end of the month and the EMS administrative captain position would be established on Jan. 1 if the council and budget process move forward as described.

What comes next: The chief asked for feedback and signaled he will return with implementation details and will work with town administration on any budget amendments if longer‑term funding is required.

Ending: Council members thanked the chief for the update and signaled support to continue the review of staffing and operational proposals.