Volunteer fire chiefs ask county for recurring base funding and capital pool to replace apparatus and cover insurance

Representatives of Sumner County’s volunteer fire departments presented a consolidated funding request to the budget committee seeking recurring operational support and a separate capital pool for apparatus replacement and insurance.

Chiefs asked the committee to consider a baseline recurring allocation per station to cover routine operating costs such as insurance, turnout gear and training/test cycles. They also requested a capital allocation to fund apparatus replacement, citing aging engines (examples given of pump failures and expensive emergency repairs) and the high cost of new apparatus (leaders cited $800k–$1.5M as typical new‑engine purchase prices).

Fire leaders asked for a line‑item approach so departments receive predictable funding rather than a single lump sum; they said a line‑item distribution would let small volunteer departments plan operating and capital cycles rather than waiting to divide a lump sum after the budget is published. Chiefs emphasized that many volunteer departments run with very small operating budgets and depletion of those funds can lead to critical service gaps during severe weather or multiple simultaneous incidents.

Commissioners asked for a specific distribution formula and for staff to return with modeled options (per‑station base plus capital pool) showing the fiscal impact. Committee members also noted the need to avoid duplicative taxation of municipal residents if a different mechanism (fire tax) is eventually proposed.