UPDATE: Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m.
Following a jurisdictional debate in Anderson County when a firefighter crossed county lines to aid a choking child, Mayor of Lawrenceburg Troy Young expressed in a statement that jurisdiction lines should never take top priority over aiding citizens.
"I want to make it absolutely clear; public safety is our top priority. If someone in Lawrenceburg needs help, it does not matter what uniform responds. What matters is that help arrives immediately and without hesitation," the statement read.
Young added, "The fact that this even became an issue is unacceptable. Steps are being taken to ensure it never happens again. Accountability and professionalism must guide every action taken in service to this community."
Original Story:
An emergency call has ignited a heated debate between fire departments in Anderson County after a firefighter crossed jurisdictional lines to check on the status of a 911 call.
According to Anderson County Deputy Chief Jimmy Robinson, on Friday night, a 911 call went out for a 4-year-old choking on a sucker. An Anderson County Fire District firefighter, located just 0.7 miles away, self-dispatched to the home off Collins Lane.
When the firefighter arrived on scene, EMS was already at the home assisting the family, and the firefighter left the area, Lawrenceburg Mayor Troy Young clarified.
"He's like, 'I'm right here, I'm a minute away,' so that's why he made the decision and did the right thing, and that's to go help a kid," Robinson said.
However, the rescue sparked controversy because the call originated inside Lawrenceburg city fire jurisdiction, despite being less than a mile from the county firehouse.
Hours after the incident, Lawrenceburg Fire Chief Bill Curtsinger sent an email to Anderson County Fire Chief Brad Durr, asking the county department to stay out of city jurisdiction.
"So the next thing, my chief is getting an email from the city chief telling him, respectfully, to stay out of his jurisdiction," Robinson said.
Robinson said this isn't the first time city and county departments have clashed over jurisdictional boundaries in the past year. Despite the tensions, he maintains his crew will continue responding when lives are at stake.
"We just show up. That's what I tell my guys. Just show up, if you need anything, if you don't need anything, we get back in our truck and we leave, it's that simple," Robinson said.
The dispute came to a head during Monday night's city council meeting, where Robinson aired his grievances about the working relationship between emergency services.
"The city was respectful, and I think they want to do the right thing and get this behind us, but we won't let this die. It's gotta be fixed 100%," Robinson said.
Both departments are scheduled to meet on November 13 to discuss a resolution to the jurisdictional issues.
