A 2020 designation of the county Haz-Mat Team as the county fire department is now causing concerns about possible higher insurance costs in the unincorporated county.
Another concern is the ability of the volunteer fire departments to obtain grants.
The County Commission is expected to consider a resolution on Wednesday declaring that the Haz-Mat Team is not the county fire department.
The unincorporated county has fire coverage from several volunteer fire departments that receive some support from the county.
The Haz-Mat Team is a specialty team dealing with hazardous materials, but does not have the same firefighter training as members of fire departments.
Winston Shields, deputy director of the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, outlined the issue in a letter to county fire chiefs this week.
He said, according to OEM Director Chris Adams, the move was made so that employees could obtain heart and lung insurance.
A records search of County Commission records did not locate a resolution aproving the change.
Mr. Shields said in his letter:
Per Director Adams, the Haz-Mat Team was created to a fire department for the benefit of heart and lung benefit for the employees of OEM.
Per the state of Tennessee and the state attorney, Director Adams will need to send a copy of all the fire department district lines and department coverage on a pdf map per Hamilton County GIs Department to the State Fire Marshal's Office directed to Jason Driver.
Per Jason, the FDR Site communicates to the FD TN Site via the maps that are on the FDR.
All departments are still recognized under the State Fire Marshal's Office. However, because of the mapping, that is why the FD TN site is only showing Hamilton County Hazardous Materials Department.
However, a resolution needs to be made before the Hamilton County Commissioners to state the following and sent to the State Fire Marshal's Office as well as including Jason Driver.
The resolution should quote:
Hamilton County Hazardous Materials Department
Resolution of Dilution of Hamilton County Hazardous Materials Department as a fire department in Hamilton County and we request that you pull their FDR from your records.