Millersville City Attorney assures public that emergency response times won’t change

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - With a one-person fire department, people in Millersville are concerned about increased fire response times.

Currently, the neighboring cities of White House and Goodlettsville are responsible for taking their emergency calls after a mutual aid agreement.

A total of 17 volunteer firefighters quit following the firing of Millersville Fire Chief Brandon Heat. Now, Millersville is left with only one firefighter — Bill Mounts, who serves as the interim fire chief.

Jamie Brown said it took more than 15 minutes for the department to respond to her Millersville house fire several years ago. She said she’s worried that response time will grow without a volunteer fire department nearby.

”If I had to dial 911 for any reason, I don’t know where they would come from, so that’s a little scary,” Brown said.

Millersville City Attorney Bryant Kroll says he expects response times to decrease because full-time firefighters in other cities are already at the stations. Millersville previously relied on volunteers who needed extra time to get from their house to the fire station.

“Most of the time, it’s come here, get the truck, and then leave,” Kroll said. “If it’s coming straight from Goodlettsville, firefighters are already there. And they just come straight in. So that’s why we’re estimating that if there is any call time, it’ll be the same, or it may actually decrease.”

Kroll said they are actively looking for new volunteers to restaff the fire department.

“I just hope they can figure it out sooner than later, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way,” Brown said.

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