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Resident urges Roane County to create paid fire department amid volunteer shortages
Summary
Resident Dennis Walsh urged commissioners to transition Roane County to a paid professional fire department, citing a severe volunteer shortage, rising emergency calls and higher insurance/ISO ratings, and requested the commission consider funding and revisit the issue later.
Dennis Walsh of Rockland told the Roane County Commission that the county “needs to transition to a paid professional fire department,” arguing the volunteer model is failing locally and nationally.
Walsh said volunteer ranks have fallen for years and that local departments are understrength; he cited national volunteer declines and rising emergency-call volumes and warned that reduced volunteer capacity is driving higher insurance rates and worse ISO ratings. He described the West Roane Valley volunteer department as having only about six active members capable of responding and said that the county currently provides roughly $435,000 annually across five volunteer departments—an amount he described as insufficient.
He argued a paid department would provide consistent minimum staffing on every truck, advanced training (including EMS, hazmat and technical rescue), and ready staffing around the clock. Walsh asked the commission to consider the proposal and said he would like the county to revisit the subject at a later date.
The commission did not take formal action during the meeting; the public-comment portion continued with other speakers.
