Fire scene from WKRN-TV
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says I-24 westbound on the Chattanooga side of Monteagle Mountain belongs to Battle Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
The eastbound lanes are in Monteagle Fire’s jurisdiction.
Marion County Mayor David Jackson says Battle Creek is working on a limited budget and the department can’t afford to respond to truck fires on the interstate.
Monteagle Fire Chief Mike Holmes says that part of the interstate is prone to truck fires.
“This mountain is bad on brakes. Brakes get too hot, catch on fire, and trailer load catches on fire,” he said.
Holmes says there’s at least one truck fire a month just in that area.
Last month, a bus full of Marines caught on fire.
When dispatch called for Battle Creek to come help, Chief Eddie Haggard can be heard on the 911 call responding:
I’ve been denying all the other fires on the freeway. I have to deny this one too.
No one was trapped on the bus carrying 40 Marines, so Monteagle Fire Department drove outside their jurisdiction to respond.
Tennessee Highway Patrol closed the interstate so the fire trucks could drive east down the westbound lanes to get to the fire.
Chief Holmes says typically, Battle Creek Fire can get to fires on that side of the interstate quicker.
Mayor Jackson says it doesn’t make much of a difference because by the time Battle Creek gets the truck filled with water up the mountain, they’re too late.
Mayor Jackson says he met with TDOT and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency several months ago and hasn’t heard back.
We asked TDOT if they’ll be able to help Battle Creek Fire Department.
Here is their response:
“While TDOT does not have any authority by law to reimburse local governments for costs associated with emergency services related to traffic crashes on state highways, our Finance Office is currently developing a more detailed explanation of our departmental processes for cost recovery due to crashes. This will include information on our billing processes and the data that we provide to owners/insurance carriers when we recover costs incurred by the Department due to crashes. Once this information is updated and compiled, we will share it with local governments, including Marion County, to assist them in understanding how they too can recover the associated costs incurred as a result of these events.
Meanwhile, TDOT says they will continue to work closely with their partners at the Tennessee Department of Safety, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and local governments to come up with other possible solutions to this problem. (WTVC-TV)
