Rutherford County Fire & Rescue briefed the Public Safety Committee on Nov. 24 about updated call reporting and ongoing questions about volunteer response and mutual aid. Chief Jay Farley presented the department’s new reporting format and year‑to‑date call volume of 7,140, with a breakdown showing motor vehicle accidents and EMS calls as the largest categories.

Commissioners pressed Farley on volunteer counts and whether mutual‑aid requests were being dispatched and answered in neighboring municipalities. A commissioner raised a specific concern that Nolensville had requested mutual aid and that a volunteer station had not been paged or responded, a claim Farley disputed and answered by pointing to CAD dispatch records that show when calls were dispatched and when units went en route. The exchange highlighted disagreement over whether volunteers were reliably responding when paged and whether paid county trucks are being sent appropriately to cover calls.

Separately, the committee approved a 10‑year lease of county property at 2517 Millen Fossil Road in Bell Buckle to the Christiana Volunteer Fire Department for a token rent of $10 over the term. Chief Farley told commissioners the department will require the volunteer organization to carry insurance, maintain improvements and handle repairs and taxes; he said having an active truck at the site would improve the ISO rating in that area. Commissioners discussed station locations and coverage before voting to approve the lease by roll call.

The mutual‑aid conversation produced no formal action but several commissioners asked for better communication and records from dispatch and for county fire leadership to follow up. The lease will be executed administratively and county property management will update records.