Sumner County ad hoc committee hears CTAS plan to shore up volunteer fire services

Mark Alley of the County Technical Assistance Service told Sumner County’s volunteer fire department ad hoc committee on Feb. 10 that Tennessee’s volunteer fire system faces a long-term staffing and funding squeeze and that counties must plan now to avoid a crisis.

Alley, the meeting’s primary presenter, said Tennessee spends “well over 1000000000 dollars” across local and grant funding for firefighting but nonetheless lacks consistent standards and personnel levels in many jurisdictions. “Tennessee is ... the fire service is not an essential service in the state of Tennessee,” Alley said, arguing that the state’s statutory and operational framework leaves volunteer departments financially and administratively vulnerable.

The presentation framed four broad options for Sumner County: remain nonprofit and continue relying on donations and grants; create a county fire marshal to coordinate and support nonprofit departments; establish a county fire department that contracts with existing stations; or — as a larger step —…