Nashville Fire Department urges funding for staffing, REACH expansion and a South Nashville truck

Chief William Swan, director and chief of the Nashville Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management, told the Metro Budget & Finance committee that the mayor—s proposed budget would add staff and equipment intended to reduce response times and expand mental-health co‑response services.

The request includes new firefighters to staff squad trucks and a South Nashville truck, funding for a workforce-management office, additions to the Fire Marshal—s Office and further hours for the REACH mental‑health response program. Swan said the package would also allow the department to expand training and support services for personnel.

The additions matter because Nashville—s call volume has risen and the department faces high attrition risk: several council members cited a department estimate that 248 employees are eligible for retirement under the "rule of 75," and Swan said recruiting and training a firefighter to full independent status takes well over a year. Restoring targeted savings taken from departments last year is a separate but related budget item council members said is needed to permit recruit classes to proceed in July.

Swan told the committee that, "If we are granted the mayor's proposed budget, we'll be able to accomplish many things, but in a nutshell, it will be to help reduce times, response times, and be more effective and more efficient at how we do our job." He described the department as responding to a broad range of high‑risk calls and highlighted investments intended to support both public safety and firefighter well‑being.

Key budget items and clarifications from the hearing

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