Hendersonville panel recommends allowing off-duty firefighters at paid events; schedules briefing on 'Brady' presumptive cancer bill

The Hendersonville Public Safety Committee on March 11 voted to recommend Ordinance 2025-11, creating a mechanism for off-duty Henderson Fire Department personnel to work paid, after-hours events using department uniforms and a utility terrain vehicle (UTV). The committee also voted to send Resolution 2025-13, which invites an outside presenter to brief public-safety personnel on the so-called Brady Act presumptive-cancer provisions and establish a staff survey process, to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) with a positive recommendation.

Committee members said the new ordinance mirrors an existing practice for police officers and creates a clear process for parks events and privately organized tournaments to hire fire personnel when staff cannot cover assignments. A staff member explained: "This is a mechanism to allow fire personnel to work at our parks or after hours ... this would just carry over for the fire department." The staff member said the policy would authorize use of uniforms and the UTV for those assignments.

Fire Chief Bush provided the committee with operational and cost details, saying vendors would pay a flat fee of $75 per day for the vehicle plus a minimum of $35 per hour for two staff members when firefighters work off duty for events. "If it's off the clock, then there's a flat fee of $75 a day," Chief Bush said. He added that individual firefighters who sign up for those shifts would negotiate pay directly with event vendors and that the city would not be involved in those private pay arrangements beyond authorizing vehicle and uniform use.

Committee members asked how entitlement to a UTV would be determined and whether some events would get priority; those questions were not fully resolved at the meeting. One member noted that some events are already covered by contracts requiring UTV presence and that those contractual arrangements would continue to be honored. Committee members also said the department will provide the signed agreements with the mayor and director Gilley when applicable.

The committee approved the ordinance motion, and the chair said, "It moves to Beaumont with a positive recommendation." The transcript does not specify additional review steps or the exact nature of "Beaumont." The record shows the motion was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote.

On Resolution 2025-13, the committee voted to invite the PCRS to hold an informational session for public-safety personnel on the Brady Act presumptive-cancer provisions and to establish a voting/survey process to gauge personnel consensus. Several committee members said they wanted more information before taking further steps; one member said, "I don't feel like I know hardly anything about the Brady program at all." The committee nevertheless approved sending the resolution to BOMA with a positive recommendation.

Chief Bush addressed the current legislative work tied to the Brady Act discussion. He told the committee that three cancer types — pancreatic, prostate and breast cancer — had been proposed to be added to the presumptive list and that a recent subcommittee vote to advance those additions was unanimous. "We went to a subcommittee meeting 2 days ago, and it was a unanimous 7 to 0 to move it forward," Chief Bush said. He also described the Brady Act as a "presumptive bill" that, as discussed at the meeting, requires consecutive annual medical exams over five years to preserve presumptions tied to occupational disease benefits.

On medical screening access and costs, Chief Bush said the department is seeking budget appropriations to cover scans locally and that individual members had pursued screenings privately. He said the scans currently cost about $350 per person. "About $350. That's what it's costing us per person," Chief Bush said. He said the department is trying to keep screening dollars in Hendersonville by negotiating with Hendersonville Hospital.

Committee discussion also touched on related occupational-health proposals. Chief Bush and Chief Jones referenced a separate PTSD bill and past local choices about opting in to other stress-related presumptive laws; Chief Jones noted that a prior Tennessee heart-and-lung measure required individual cities to opt into coverage and that Hendersonville did not opt in at that time.

The committee approved the February 11 meeting minutes and concluded by agreeing to revisit the department's top-50 calls data after six months as a performance benchmark. No public commenters had signed up for the meeting.

Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes: Ordinance 2025-11 and Resolution 2025-13 will be forwarded with positive recommendations for further review by the appropriate governing bodies.