Rutherford County Public Safety Committee reviews storm response, approves grants and budget reallocations

The Rutherford County Public Safety Committee met March 23, 2026, and heard reports from emergency services, EMS, fire and rescue, the sheriff’s office, animal services, risk management and recovery programs before approving several contract renewals, budget transfers and grant applications.

Chris Clark, director of emergency services/public safety, told the committee the county responded to winter storm Fern and a March 15th event, and "we sheltered 86 people seeking shelter during the potential severe weather here recently." He said volunteers and emergency-management staff supported shelter operations and that the county has started a local emergency planning committee to coordinate with tier‑two hazardous‑materials facilities. Clark described a dashboard check‑in using QR codes and said the county had staged Red Cross trailers in La Vergne but that the Red Cross did not open shelters; he characterized the decision about when to open partner‑run shelters as a "heated discussion" with Red Cross partners.

The committee approved the recommendation that Susie Cunningham and John Ingle serve as the county’s representatives on a unified dispatch study steering committee. Cunningham was…