SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Sumner County couple watched flames devour their home Tuesday. Thankfully, no one was hurt but the homeowner, June Rainey, wanted to know why it took 45 minutes for firefighters to show up.
"You know wedding pictures and baby pictures, your grandkids, high school memories, yearbooks — all of that stuff is gone, " said Rainey.
They live in the Shackle Island community just beyond the Hendersonville city line.
Because of that, Hendersonville Chief Scotty Bush said his firefighters can't show up without an agreement to help each other in cases like this.
"What I hope comes out of this is we can sit back down and have some conversations about how important it is to have these agreements not just verbally but also in writing of what the expectations are from each organization," said Bush. "We extend our deepest regrets and sympathy to them, and we are always going to work to try to improve so we can offer a better level of service."
Rachel Collins is an alderman in Hendersonville. She said the city approached the Shackle Island Volunteer Fire Department in the last year with a proposal.
"We offered the same agreement that we offered to Number One, and there was some back and forth, but it was rejected," said Collins.
Hendersonville did not have a previous mutual aid agreement with Shackle Island, but in order to help the Hendersonville community, Chief Bush said they needed one.
"When you are dealing with regular type calls, it is always best to have some form of an agreement verbal and written that supports what you are going to send and what you are going to do to provide protection," said Bush. "Because you still have to provide protection to the folks in the city."
Shackle Island Chief Ron Wills said fire departments don't need mutual aid agreements.
"It's not legally necessary," said Wills. "The state put out a law in 2004 that mutual aid agreements between fire departments are no longer necessary. All y'all's insurance will cover. You just go help each other. That's what fire departments do."
Wills said it is difficult to tell if Hendersonville firefighters showed up what the outcome would have been.
"The question of if they would have been more effective and save that home is anybody's guess," said Wills. "We are more than willing to find that common ground and build that bridge."
With the stalemate still in place both Hendersonville and Shackle Island leaders said they want to find common ground so folks like June Rainey can get the help they need when they need it.
"I think that there has to be a decision made," said Rainey. "You are talking about people's lives. I mean, my husband was here. He could have lost his life in this fire, and I heard that it took 45 minutes for the first truck to get here. We have a city fire department one mile down the road that could have been here in a matter of minutes."
Wills said the fire started when the homeowner went to start his car inside the garage, and the car caught on fire. Wills said the homeowner called firefighters when the fire got too large that he could not put it out himself.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Kim.Rafferty@newschannel5.com.
With new technology comes new ways to help people. This story shows a great use of AI that is starting to be rolled out in Tennessee. This one can help those who may be blind, deaf or neurodiverse navigate the Tennessee State Library and Archives from an app on their smart phone.
-Lelan Statom
