JOHN COFFELT Staff Writer

The Coffee County Ambulance Authority has voted to begin the process to dissolve itself in preparation for creating a new joint public safety committee with representatives from both the City of Manchester and Coffee County.

Members voted 3-0 during its Aug. 24 meeting to dissolve the Ambulance Authority. Originally brought up last November, the issue was brought up again in anticipation of anticipated growth expected to occur during the next five-years resulting from the megasite, now formally known as the I-24 Industrial Rail Complex.

It is expected that oversite of Coffee County’s rural fire departments will be moved from its Health, Welfare and Recreation Committee and combined with the Ambulance Committee to form a public safety committee.

If all these steps are approved by the full commission, that committee could be named First Responder Committee or Emergency Services Committee.

Commissioner Frank Watkins said with the pending megasite, the county is looking at going to a full-time fire department.

A full-time fire station could be built near the megasite, with the county’s rural volunteer fire departments expected to remain much as they are, he said.

Watkins said that the growth could warrant a new emergency medical service station in the vicinity too.

“My thought is that it would be advantageous for us to get ahead of the eight-ball…and start to do it now,” he said.

According to Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny, if formed as a standing committee, the board would be made of exclusively commissioners. Currently, former commissioner Dr. Jeff Keele and Dr. Jay Trussler serve on the board. Chairman Tim Stubblefield said that he values their expertise and that they are a valuable asset to the authority. He hoped that if they were eventually determined ineligible to be voting members they could be retained as ad hoc advisers.   

From here, the matter will go to the County Attorney Ed North to draft a resolution for the full commission to vote on. It was estimated to appear before that body in November.

Coffee County Fire Department

One concern mentioned during the meeting concerning a joint use fire and EMS building is the sleeping arrangements. On a typical overnight shift, EMS is called out much more frequently than a rural fire. Those calls would wake firefighters, and the so-called By-the-night pay would come in to play. In comparison, the Tullahoma firefighters get eight hours of call-in pay if they don’t get five hours of uninterrupted sleep. If a potential Coffee County Fire department uses a similar policy that could be a budgetary concern.

The boon to that could be personnel who might cross train – firefighters catch the occasional EMS shift.

Rural Fire

Each of the county’s rural fire departments are currently separate 501(c)3 non-profits organizations. Rather than dissolve those, per the Bedford County model, they would stay in place and remain autonomous entities.

Watkins said that regardless of whether the megasite is eventually annexed in to the city, the site will still need county services.

I-24 Industrial Rail Complex

According to Watkins, his understanding of the matter is the state’s 2023-24 budget (which includes funds to purchase the land designated as a future megasite, will start Oct. 1. Then 30 days later, the state will close on the property in early November.

“It’s not the megasite anymore,” Watkins said. “It’s going to be the I-24 Industrial Rail Complex. It’s not going to be one gigantic big company. It’s going to be several.”

Stubblefield added, “Things are going to be a little hectic in the next five years. We’re trying to get set up to stay with the game not ahead of it.” 

Commissioner Missy DeFord said that “once the megasite hits and the paid fire department is formed, everything is going to start rolling.”

“Fast,” Watkins added. “And I know there are some folks already looking at the site. And I know there’s some trips planned for ‘negotiations.’ ”