NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At any given time, firefighters are called to an emergency. They gear up and head out, but here in Nolensville its not as easy for their firefighters to get out the door.
"Volunteers need to go from home, then to the fire department before they get to my home," said Caitlyn Luszczek, "That could quadruple response time that it takes to save my family in case there is a fire."
Nolensville firefighters are volunteers, who usually have another job. The city and fire department have been going back and forth about getting paid personnel to keep up with the growing city.
Nolensville Mayor Jimmy Alexander says the volunteer fire department's budget for this year is $200,000 - a little more than a 2% increase from last year.
Overall the city's budget is $4 million. The mayor says the proposed budget just for the department was $1.3 million, which they currently can't afford.
As the city and department continue to negotiate. The former Nolensville fire chief resigned because of his frustration over the lack of resources.
There will be a public hearing on May 2 to discuss this budget some more.
