Tennessee volunteer fire department gets $10K boost

HAMBLEN COUNTY, Tenn. — Several volunteer fire departments across Tennessee are getting a much-needed boost, as some agencies receive $10,000 in grant funding to keep rural fire stations operational.

Scott Fortner, assistant chief at the North Hamblen County Volunteer Fire Department, has been serving for over two decades — without ever drawing a paycheck.

“It does your heart good to know, I don’t need a paycheck to do it,” Fortner said.

The department, made up entirely of volunteers, responds to everything from brush fires to EMS calls. Even in the middle of the night.

“We respond from anywhere, we respond in the middle of the night from sleeping, from church,” Fortner said.

North Hamblen's work often stretches beyond county lines.

“They count on us volunteers to go to Gatlinburg,