Radio communication and incident reports obtained by the Channel 4 I-Team show the closest fire department to a stretch of interstate frequently used by Nashvillians traveling to Chattanooga is refusing to respond to car fires on 1-24 in Marion County on Monteagle Mountain. The I-Team started investigating when a bus filled with Marines traveling to Nashville on Sept. 5 burned, leaving only a shell of the bus.
The I-Team uncovered an incident report where the chief of the closest volunteer fire department, Battle Creek Fire Department, refused to respond because of financial reasons.
“How do you justify being a firefighter and not responding to a fire?" asked chief investigative reporter Jeremy Finley.
“It's hard. It's the facts of life. The world is cruel,” Chief Eddie Haggard replied.