Due to their close proximity of Interstate 40, North Carolina Highway Patrol has requested Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department and Haywood County Emergency Management to negotiate the response of GFVFD to motor vehicle accidents and fires on I-40 in the gorge.

In response, Haywood County Emergency Management and Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department have met on several occasions, both in Tennessee and in North Carolina to discuss a Mutual Aid Agreement.  In the North Carolina meeting, it was also identified that there is a need for faster response to structural fire suppression and motor vehicle accidents in the Waterville and Mount Sterling communities.

Agencies invited to the North Carolina meeting included; Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department, Cocke County Emergency Management, Allied EMS, Haywood County Emergency Management, Haywood County Fire Marshall, Haywood County EMS and Lake Junaluska Fire Department.

Due to the I-40 rock slide and the immediate vulnerability to these communities, as of Tuesday last week, Haywood County and Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department initiated the discussed Mutual Aid Agreement for GFVFD to provide response to motor vehicle accidents and fires on I-40 in the gorge, and for both structural fire suppression and motor vehicle accidents in the Waterville and Mount Sterling, North Carolina communities, including the Progressive Energy Power Plant at Waterville.

According to Greg Shupin, Haywood County Emergency Management Director, structural fires and motor vehicle accidents in the above identified areas are to be reported to Haywood County E-911. Haywood County E-911 will in turn notify Cocke County E-911, which will then dispatch Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department to the scene.