NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Fire Department says it will "begin a new protocol" for all future Fourth of July fireworks shows after a miscommunication led to the show beginning before all Metro Police personnel were out of the blast zone.
Metro Nashville Police Department SWAT officers were still in the blast zone after removing four people from the Bridge Building, which officials say had been cleared earlier that day.
An Infinity Hospitality Group security guard "told our Fire Marshal personnel the building was clear..." before making "...clear that MNPD personnel were still in the building," Public Information Officer Joseph Pleasant said in a press release.
He said the MNPD personnel at Building "also did not notify the NFD" they were still inside.
Pleasant described the series of communication in a press release saying:
"Once the security guard, the people who were in the Bridge Building and our personnel were outside of the fall out zone all clear was given to the Fire Marshal’s point person stationed with the pyrotechnic company to start the fireworks show. NFD was not notified that the SWAT team had entered the building. The MNPD personnel at the Bridge Building who removed the unauthorized people from the fall out zone also did not notify the NFD that the SWAT team remained inside of the building. The NFD was not notified that the SWAT team remained inside of the Bridge Building until after the fireworks show started."
Once officials were made aware of the SWAT members still inside, the show had already begun, and "the decision was made to allow the fireworks show to continue and have the MNPD personnel remain inside the building until the show ended."
For future shows, the department will use a new protocol. The Unified Command Post will give officials the green light by the NFD, EMS and MNPD.
