Problems at White Oak Volunteer Fire Department Untouched by County and State Leaders

by Hayden Bradfield

Published Friday, February 28, 2025

DUFF, TN - Upon viewing the outside of a small, rural fire station located in the quaint community of White Oak, Tennessee, nothing appears out of the ordinary. This all-volunteer fire department has served a broad area of Campbell County for many years, responding to calls not only in the unincorporated community of White Oak but also the communities of Morley, Duff, and Habersham. Passing by this station while traveling down a backcountry two-lane road, not much may come to mind, but under the surface lies major problems endangering the lives and safety of residents and the many recreational tourists that frequent this area.

The community of White Oak is nestled far away in a remote location of Campbell County. There are only two routes available to access this location by car, either traveling down the windy and trecherous TN Route 90 that scales the cliffsides of mountains or taking Duff Road, a rough stretch of road that, at the time of writing, is currently being worked on. Over the years, this region has experienced an influx of ATV traffic, a popular destination by many. In addition, this area has also seen a share of ATV accidents involving trauma, structural and brush fires, destructive storms, and medical emergencies.

This area is within an "ambulance desert", where ambulance response times of 20-30+ minutes are not uncommon. This area is not only experiencing a lack of medical first responders, but the one fire department that serves this area is lagging in the few types of emergencies they respond to. Numerous complaints have been voiced regarding leadership corruption, nepotism, lack of training, and the misappropriaion of funds. Behind the bay doors sit trucks and equipment that is corroding, outdated, and potentially hazardous.

Efforts have been made to improve the voids in emergency services the community faces, only to be disregarded by both county and state officials. As the area's only volunteer fire department crumbles, initiatives to establish a district to take on the task of EMS first response and rescue have been placed on a backburner. Other initiatives such as improvements to emergency radio communications, a critical issue in the area, have been met with scorn.

While some residents of White Oak hope to see changes, it is only a matter of time before disaster and tragedy strikes. Until county and state officials make emergency services a priority, we will continue to see the deterioration of emergency services across many rural areas.