COLUMBIA, Maury County Fire Department crews faced a demanding stretch of calls in mid-June, responding to a rollover with ejection on Mooresville Pike on Sunday, June 21, and two separate head-on collisions within days of each other, including one on Iron Bridge Road on the morning of June 16.
In the June 21 Mooresville Pike incident, District 23 personnel heard the accident from home and were on scene before the formal dispatch was complete. Rescue 21 assisted EMS and Engine 21, while OPS 20 established a landing zone for Air Evac 09, the regional air medical helicopter. A vehicle rollover with ejection is among the most serious call types first responders handle, and the speed of the District 23 response reflects the kind of readiness that saves lives in rural parts of the county where response times can be measured in minutes that matter.
The June 16 Iron Bridge Road call presented a different challenge. When MCFD was dispatched to the head-on collision at 9:05 a.m., other units were already committed to a separate head-on collision on Highway 431. Units arriving at Iron Bridge Road found one occupant trapped inside a vehicle and used hydraulic tools to remove the door and free the person. Two serious collisions handled simultaneously by a department that has to cover a large and growing county is a reminder of the demands placed on Maury County's fire and rescue personnel every week.
The Maury County Fire Department posted updates on both incidents on its official Facebook page, noting simply: "We are proud to serve Maury County." That sentiment is earned. These men and women do difficult work in difficult circumstances, and Maury County is better for having them.