Watertown Fire Department
Public Safety Facility
160 Old Statesville Ave
Watertown, TN 37184
Watertown Fire Department
We often get questions from the public wanting to learn more about the department. We would like to highlight a few of these in a FAQ segment.
1. "I called for an ambulance. Why did the fire department show up?"
Answer: Almost every fire department in the country responds to medical calls along with an ambulance. Fire crews are trained in CPR. Additionally, a majority of our members hold medical licenses in either EMR or EMT. Many times a fire crew can get to your emergency before an ambulance, or can assist the ambulance crew on scene of your emergency. Watertown Fire responds to fires, wrecks, medical emergencies, and various other incidents.
2. "I heard a lot of sirens. It must be a really bad wreck. "
Answer: While every emergency is important, the severity of the incident isn’t always dictated by the number of sirens. Many times departments are proactive in sending resources and can back them down when confirmed not needed. A minor injury vehicle accident will often yield law enforcement, an ambulance, a fire engine, and a rescue truck. That can be 6 or more vehicles with sirens for the one incident.
3. "Does the Watertown Fire Department get paid?"
Answer: Our department is 100% volunteer. Many of our members are also firefighters at career departments and volunteer their time serving our community. Each firefighter completes the state firefighting training and undergoes certification as firefighters even though they do not receive pay. In addition to this, hundreds of hours are spent annually completing additional training to be able to help others in their time of need.
4. "Is Watertown Fire Department part of WEMA?"
Answer: No. While we have a great working relationship with the county EMA and they are a vital part of emergency services for the county and each city, Watertown Fire Department is independently governed by the City of Watertown. WEMA provides ambulance service for the City of Watertown, and will soon be housing a fire engine in Watertown that will be primarily used for county fire protection in the areas of Wilson County surrounding Watertown.
5. "Does Watertown Fire Department only respond in the city?"
Answer: For over 60 years the Watertown Fire Department has assisted the county with various emergencies. This was formalized many years ago with an automatic mutual-aid agreement. This means that, while we provide additional services in the county, they also are there to provide additional help in the city when needed.
