MURFREESBORO, TN — As the first week of March brings an unseasonable glimpse of spring to Rutherford County with temperatures climbing into the low 70s, local first responders are preparing for the annual "spring shift" in emergency calls. Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) Chief Mark McCluskey noted that the pleasant weather is a double-edged sword, leading to a spike in specific types of accidents.
Chief McCluskey observed that more people are active as the weather continues to warm, specifically pointing to the influx of motorcycles on the road. He reminded area residents to watch for motorcyclist because they are sometimes hard to spot, which can lead to dangerous collisions. The Chief explained that the most frequent cause of these collisions involve other motorists...
Another common type of motorcycle crash to which the fire department frequently responds to involves riders entering a curve at excessive speed... When a motorcyclist approaches a turn too fast, they may be unable to maintain proper lane position or control, especially if the curve tightens or they hit loose gravel. unexpectedly. Excessive speed reduces the rider’s ability to lean appropriately, adjust braking smoothly, or respond to oncoming traffic drifting over the center line.
In many of these incidents, riders either cross into opposing lanes, leave the roadway entirely, or lay the motorcycle down in an attempt to avoid a more severe collision. These crashes often result in significant injuries due to the limited protection motorcycles provide compared to passenger vehicles...
This past month, firefighters responded to nearly 1,800 calls for service. Of those, a little more than 1,300 involved incidents requiring some type of emergency medical care. Another 460 calls were categorized as “fire rescue incidents,” while 15 involved actual structure or vehicle fires. Chief McCluskey told WGNS that during warmer months, it is not uncommon for the department to handle more than 2,000 calls per month.
Responding to Drug Calls – Being dispatched to calls involving drug use are also common for the fire department to respond to. The chief told WGNS about one of the more peculiar calls that involved not only drugs, but also an auto accident on the interstate...
McCluskey has been with the fire department for 41 years and has responded to a wide variety of calls and emergency situations. He cautioned that one type of call occurs far too often — drug overdoses, particularly in cases where individuals unknowingly ingest fentanyl... The synthetic opioid is frequently used to manufacture counterfeit pills like Percocet, which are then sold to unsuspecting buyers on the street.
Federal authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), caution that fentanyl is about 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. The DEA reports that roughly 2 milligrams — an amount comparable to a few grains of salt — can be deadly for most individuals.
Murfreesboro Continues to Grow - As Murfreesboro continues to grow, so will the number of calls that rescue workers respond to. Many believe the more an emergency crew know before they arrive at the address, the better they can be prepared to help the patient or patients.
Today, the MFRD is leveraging technology like the "Community Connect" program to keep pace. This allows residents to input data about their homes—such as the location of storm shelters or bedridden family members—directly into the dispatch system. "It will come up on our screen when we're responding, we kind of know what we're getting into - - before we get there and find out," McCluskey said.
- You can listen to the entire podcast featuring Chief McCluskey by heading to our podcast page. Click here for a direct link to his interview on WGNS.
