At the Cumberland County Commission meeting tonight, resolution 09-2025-21 was added to the agenda and expresses Cumberland County’s support for a sole ambulance service. This prompted significant debate before being unanimously approved.

The resolution follows the Crossville City Council’s September 9, 2025, decision to establish a city-run EMS transport service under the Crossville Fire Department, set for phased implementation by July 1, 2026. The city’s motion, which passed 3-2 with support from Council members Mike Turner, Mark Fox, and Art Gernt, and opposition from Mayor RJ Crawford and Council member James Mayberry, aimed to leverage fire stations for faster response times and enhance firefighter job satisfaction through cross-training.

However, it proposed a 30-cent property tax increase per $100 of assessed value, potentially raising the current 60-cent rate by 50% to 100%, which critics argued would burden fixed-income residents and double-tax city property owners for services already provided by the county’s top-ranked EMS, recognized in Tennessee’s top quartile with state awards.

Commissioners expressed concern over the lack of formal communication from the city, with only casual discussions with Mayor Crawford noted. They feared the city’s plan, potentially limited to three ambulances within city limits, could reduce countywide EMS services and necessitate relocating the county’s four to five ambulances currently stationed in the city, risking service disruptions without an interlocal agreement.

The county’s EMS was praised as among the Upper Cumberland’s best, boasting advanced equipment like heart monitors, highly trained personnel, and a strong medical director.

Commissioners questioned the city’s claim of improved response times, noting dispatch systems might not efficiently locate the closest ambulance.

The commission emphasized the need for better dialogue, scheduling an EMS committee meeting for tomorrow, September 16, 2025, at 4:30 PM at the Art Circle library to further address these concerns, reflecting their commitment to preserving high-quality EMS services without adverse financial or operational impacts on residents.