MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) — Fire departments across Rutherford County, including the Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department, experienced a noticeable increase in emergency calls during the recent cold snap that brought freezing temperatures and hazardous conditions to the area.

Now that most of the weather conditions are behind us, we thought it would be a good time to bring residents up-to-date on how the variety of calls may have differed... That was MFRD Chief Mark McCluskey.

Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue, which serves residents within the Murfreesboro city limits, responded to a higher-than-normal volume of calls over several days as icy roads and cold weather created dangerous conditions... A significant portion of those responses involved minor traffic accidents, many caused by slick roadways, reduced visibility, and drivers underestimating how quickly conditions could change.

In addition to roadway incidents, firefighters also handled weather-related calls tied to heating issues, fire alarms, and safety checks as residents relied more heavily on furnaces, space heaters, and other heat sources. The increased volume led to additional manpower for the first 3-days... Despite the challenges, crews remained prepared, ensuring that response times stayed consistent even as call volume rose. Fire officials credit proactive planning for helping manage the surge in incidents.

A new fire hall will soon be built in front of the future Veterans Park, which will help in cold weather conditions and throughout the year as Murfreesboro continues to grow... And because there is currently about a 2-year wait for fire departments across the country to get new fire trucks, orders must be placed well before the date for a new fire station to open... No concrete date has been set for the opening of the new Veterans Parkway fire hall, but contractors are in the early stages of surveying the property. This work will lead to land clearing, followed by the start of brick-and-mortar construction.

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