DIAL 911 FOR ALL EMERGENCY CALLS WITHIN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD

GENERAL
The Springfield Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical first response, rescue, hazardous material response, fire prevention, fire safety inspection and public education services within the city limits, as well as mutual aid assistance to other fire departments throughout Robertson County. The department consists of twenty-nine (29) full-time firefighters, twelve (12) volunteer firefighters and one (1) office manager who continuously man fire stations in three (3) shifts, twenty-four hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Firefighters respond from two (2) stations that include the Main Fire Station in the central sector of the city and the David N. Greer Fire Station in the southeast sector of the city.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES
The department is equipped to respond with three (3) front-line pumper trucks, one (1) reserve pumper truck, one (1) 100-foot aerial platform ladder truck, and one (1) brush fire truck.

ISO RATING
As of February 1, 2012; the Springfield Fire Department has an Insurance Service Office Public Protection Classification of 3.  This classification is often referred to as the ISO Rating.    This rating helps to determine insurance premiums paid by homeowners and businesses.  The highest rating is a Class 1 and the lowest rating is a Class 10.  There are 1,017 fire departments in the State of Tennessee and thirty-eight (38) have a Class 3 designation.  Only five (5) have a higher class rating.”

FIRE CODES
The NFPA 101-Life Safety Code, 2006 edition, as promulgated and adopted by the National Fire Protection Association Codes, as adopted by the State of Tennessee, including all appendices, addenda and supplements thereto have been adopted as the City of Springfield fire code.

The International Fire Code, 2006 edition, as prepared and adopted by the International Code Council, including all appendices, addenda, and supplements thereto has been adopted as the City of Springfield fire prevention code.

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Springfield Fire Department is to promote a safe community free of fires and hazards and to better serve our citizens and visitors with professional, efficient, emergency and non-emergency services.

TRAINING
Training is critical to the department's success and the training committee strives to utilize the latest in technology for developing and presenting classroom instruction. Seventy-three percent (73%) of the department's personnel are certified fire professionals by the State of Tennessee Commission on Firefighting. Every employee receives training in CPR, vehicle extrication, defensive driving, hazardous materials, and medical first response.

Personnel strive to train for a minimum of 240 hours each year including a 40 hour in-service training course scheduled annually. The volunteer firefighters train on the fourth Tuesday of every month and also participate in portions of the 40 hour in-service training program. In addition, many of the firefighters train on their own in preparation for state certifications.

INSPECTION PROGRAM
The Springfield Fire Department strives to inspect each commercial and industrial building twice a year, including nursing homes and the local hospital. The properties are inspected for fire hazards and safety issues. These inspections are conducted according to the NFPA 101-Life Safety Code, 2006 edition, and the International Fire Code, 2006 edition. If you have any questions about the safety of your building please contact the department at 615-384-4381.

BURN PERMITS
The department issues very few burn permits and only under circumstances that are in full compliance with the rules of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Bureau of Environment, Division of Air Pollution Control’s Chapter 1200-3-4, entitled “Open Burning.”  The burning of tires, roofing shingles, painted lumber, pressure treated lumber, plywood, cardboard, household garbage, rubber or plastic products is prohibited.

A permit is required for any type of open burning within the city limits.  Burn permits may be obtained during normal business hours at the Main Fire Station located at 203 Central Avenue.  Burning is permitted during daylight hours only.  There is no charge for the permit.  Persons wishing to make inquiries may call the Fire Department at 615-384-4381.

RAPID ENTRY KEY LOCK BOXES

The Title 7, Chapter 6 of the Springfield Municipal Code requires that the following structures or properties must be equipped with a rapid entry key lock box system at an accessible location near the main entrance of the structure or property or at such other location approved by the Springfield Fire Department:

• All new commercial and industrial buildings;
• All new commercial and industrial buildings protected by an automatic alarm system or automatic suppression system, or such buildings that are secured in a manner that restricts access during an emergency;
• New multi-family residential dwellings that have restricted access through locked doors and have a common corridor for access to the living units or mechanical rooms;
• Any new building that the Springfield Fire Department determines lack of access may result in loss of life or extensive property or environmental damage, based on factors including, but not limited to, fire load, occupant load, exposures, building construction, or storage or handling of hazardous materials;
• New residential complexes where it is determined that lack of access may result in the loss of life or extensive property damage based on factors including, but not limited to, occupant load and building construction; and
• All new properties having security gates or devices which limit access to the building or property.

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to those new structures where a twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) day a week on site security force is present, provided members of the security force respond to all fire department responses with the correct means of accessing the affected buildings or areas.  This chapter also does not apply to new owner occupied one and two family dwellings.

All rapid entry key lock boxes shall contain the following:

• Labeled keys for locked points of ingress or egress, whether on the interior or exterior of such building or property;
• Labeled keys to all fire alarm panels;
• Labeled keys to elevator rooms and controls;
• Labeled keys to all locked electrical or mechanical equipment rooms; and
• Other labeled keys as may be required by the Springfield Fire Department.

All key lock boxes shall be installed on the front of the building near the main entrance door or between four (4) and six (6) feet above the ground, unless otherwise approved.  All building and property owners are required to do the following:

• Install a rapid entry key lock box system;
• Provide the proper keys to the Springfield Fire Department for the required access;
• Notify the Springfield Fire Department when the locks or keys have been changed; and
• Keep the immediate area of the rapid entry key lock box free and clear of any and all obstructions.

The Springfield Fire Department shall designate the type of key lock box system to be implemented within the city limits of Springfield.  The cost of purchase or installation, along with any cost associated with the implementation of this program at a specific property, shall be borne by the business owner or the person(s) charged with the responsibility for the building or the occupancy of the building.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STATION TOURS
The personnel of the Springfield Fire Department would be pleased to present a program at your next civic club meeting, church or school. The department is very active at city schools during Fire Prevention Week.

In 2004 the Springfield Fire Department received a grant to purchase a fire safety house. The house is used for fire prevention training and educational programs. If you are interested in having a public education program presented at a location of your choice, please contact Firefighter James Elmore at 615-384-4381.

National Fire Prevention Week is always the second week in October of each year. If you have a group interested in visiting one of the fire stations, please give us a call at 615-384-4381 to schedule a station tour.

OPTICOM TRAFFIC SIGNALING SYSTEM
During the fall of 1996 the City of Springfield initiated the installation of a state of the art emergency preemption signaling system for traffic lights. The system, marketed under the name Opticom, is designed by the 3M Corporation. The City of Springfield was one of the first cities in the middle Tennessee region to install this technology.

The system allows public safety vehicles, while responding to emergency calls for service, to have the flow of traffic. Each fire apparatus is equipped with a signaling device that triggers the approaching traffic light to turn green, allowing the fire apparatus the right of way.

Please remember to always move to the right and stop when emergency vehicles are approaching with flashing lights and sirens!

FIRE HYDRANT PROGRAM
The City of Springfield has 921 fire hydrants within the city limits. Every April each hydrant is flow tested, serviced and painted. The cap color indicates available water flow from the hydrant. The bonnet (top) of each hydrant is painted white for increased visibility at night.

Note: gpm = Gallons per Minute psi = Pound per Square Inch

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Siren Warning System
The City of Springfield has installed an outdoor warning system using an Omni-directional high powered voice and siren system. The system is used to notify the public in the event of tornado warnings and other types of potential natural and man-made disasters.

The system consists of fifteen (15) pole mounted units located within the city limits of Springfield. The system is tested regularly on the first Saturday of each month at noon. The units are sited at the following locations:

• Highway 41 South and Gregory Road
• Highway 41 South and Stacy Springs
• Springfield Public Works Department
• The Legacy Club House
• Legacy Drive and Gallop Drive
• Hillside Drive and Lakeside Drive
• Perry Drive and Poplar Avenue
• Locust Street behind the Senior Citizens Center
• Highway 431 South and Watson Road
• Highway 161 North and Charles Ralph Drive
• Highway 41 North and Legion Field
• Travis Price Park
• Highway 41 South and Kirby Street
• Westside Circle
• Lawerence Lane

Samples of the warning tones may be heard at www.whelen.com

Region Wide Radio System
The City of Springfield public safety departments have recently brought into service the new trunked radio system that is being installed throughout all of Tennessee Homeland Security District 7, which includes Robertson, Montgomery, Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart counties. The new radio system allows public safety departments within a county, within neighboring counties, or throughout the homeland security district to communicate with one another individually or collectively in the event of a natural or man-made emergency or disaster.

Cable Television
In the event of an emergency or potential emergency the City of Springfield has the capability of notifying all cable television customers of the nature of the emergency by running a streaming video announcement on all cable television channels.

FIREWORKS
With a few exceptions, the possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited within the city limits of Springfield.  Regulations pertaining to fireworks can be found in Title 7, Chapter 5 of the Springfield Municipal Code.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER AND STANDPIPE REQUIREMENTS
An approved automatic sprinkler system shall be provided for newly constructed buildings or structures and for newly renovated buildings or structures.  Renovated shall mean fifty percent (50%) or greater of the gross square foot area of the building or structure.  The automatic sprinkler system shall only be provided to that portion of the building or structure which is being renovated.  Regulations pertaining to automatic sprinkler and standpipe systems can be found in Title 7, Chapter 7 of the Springfield Municipal Code

CONTACT

Main Fire Station
203 Central Avenue
Springfield, Tennessee 37172
Main Business Office: 615-384-4381
Facsimile: 615-382-2238

David N. Greer Fire Station
Station Number 2
1005 Bradley Drive
Springfield, Tennessee 37172
Office: 615-382-2242
Facsimile: 615-382-2238

Maynor Schott, Fire Chief
Jimmy Hamill, Assistant Fire Chief