By Ryan Lewis
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
KIMBALL, Tenn. — Tennessee might have to ditch its “Volunteer State” motto when it comes to firefighting, Kimball officials say.
A mandate from the state Legislature forces volunteer firefighters with less than five years’ experience to complete 65 hours of training at the state fire training center in Bell Buckle, Tenn. The cost is about $1,500, and firefighters must take the course on their own time.
Kimball officials said at the March meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that the problem of unfunded directives from the Legislature is getting out of control.
“They just keep handing these mandates down and sending me these books telling me what my guys are going to have to do,” Kimball Fire Chief Jeff Keef said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Chief Keef said 78 percent of Tennessee firefighters are volunteers. He fears that the mandate will force rural fire departments to close because their volunteers can’t afford the required training.
“I know it puts the city in liability if we don’t do it,” Kimball Vice Mayor Rex Pesnell said, “but I know there are other departments that can’t do it.”
Alderman Mark Payne, a former volunteer firefighter, said it’s sad that the state is penalizing men and women who give so much of their time to help others.
“All they want to do is help somebody,” he said. “All they want to do is help somebody put their house out and not lose their grandmother’s piano or whatever. All they want to do is pull somebody out of a wrecked vehicle and help save their life. (These unfunded mandates) are running them out of business.”
The mandate problem is only getting worse, officials said.
“They just keep passing the buck down to local city governments with these unfunded mandates,” Kimball Mayor David Jackson said. “I don’t know what the city and the county are going to do. It’s just getting out of hand.”
Copyright 2010 Chattanooga Publishing Company