When you call 911 in Spring Hill, you shouldn't have to think about which county you're standing in. Today, you don't.
That could change on January 1. Over the next two weeks, Maury County will decide whether to keep one ambulance service for all of Spring Hill or split our city at the county line. If you live here, I'm asking you to weigh in before they vote.
Email the Maury County Commission
What's Being Decided
Since 2020, Williamson County EMS (emergency medical services), run by Williamson Health, has covered all of Spring Hill on both sides of the county line. For six years, Williamson County did that at no cost to Maury County. It was worth it to them to keep from cutting the city in half.
That has changed. EMS costs have climbed, and Williamson County has asked Maury County to start paying for service on its side of the city. That side is home to about 26,000 of our residents and about 60 percent of Williamson EMS's Spring Hill calls, roughly 2,400 calls last year.
Maury County has two choices. It can join an agreement to keep the service we have, or it can have Maury Regional Health take over the Maury County side.
Let me be clear about one thing. Maury Regional runs an excellent EMS service, and nobody at the table is saying otherwise. The issue isn't the people. It's what happens when you split one system into two, and how little time is left to do it.
What a Split Would Mean for a 911 Call
Every 911 call inside Spring Hill's city limits goes to Williamson County's 911 center, which also sends our police and firefighters. That's why it works so well today. One call, one center, everyone rolling together.
One Call Today. Two Extra Steps if We Split.
Today
- You call 911
- Williamson County 911 center answers
- Ambulance, fire, and police are sent together
If the Maury County side is split off
- You call 911
- Williamson County 911 center answers and sends fire and police
- Call is passed to Maury County 911
- Maury County 911 calls hospital dispatch
- Ambulance is sent
Adds about 1 to 2 minutes
Williamson County's Public Safety Director told Maury County's commissioners that those extra steps would add about one to two minutes. In an emergency, that's a long time.
Moving the Maury side's 911 calls to Maury County wouldn't be a quick fix either. It would likely take added staff at Maury County 911, and the state could treat it as breaking up a consolidated 911 center. Paramedics, firefighters, and police would also be on two different radio systems at the same scene. He said sorting all of this out would likely take several months.
What Backup Would Look Like
Spring Hill isn't just served by two ambulances and a supervisor. When one gets tied up, the next ambulance moves up from Thompson's Station, and the next from across Williamson County. That's how Williamson EMS keeps its average response time inside Spring Hill at about eight and a half minutes.
Maury Regional's closest station is in Neapolis. It ran 1,159 calls last year. If Maury Regional took on the Maury side without adding ambulances, Maury Regional estimates that station would run about 3,500 calls a year, and the backup would be coming from a lot farther away. That includes Southern Springs, our 55-and-older community off Kedron Road.
If the Closest Ambulance Is Out
Minutes, if no ambulances are added and the Neapolis ambulance is out
Maury Regional's answer is to add two ambulances, one at Spring Hill Fire Station 2 and one at the Carters Creek fire station. If they take this on, that's the right plan. The problem is the calendar.
Why the Timing Matters
Today's coverage runs through December 31. New ambulances take 6 to 12 months to arrive, and Maury Regional's plan calls for 22 more positions.
Maury Regional told commissioners it can't safely take on both stations before July 2027. With overtime and a spare ambulance, it could open one station in January, and its CEO said response times would be affected if it had to start that way.
Two Paths for Maury County
| Keep one service | Split at the county line | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready January 1? | Yes. It's running today. | One station at best. Both stations not before July 2027. |
| Cost to Maury County | $750,000 for January through June 2027, then $1.5 million a year, up 3% annually | Subsidy of about $2.2 million, $1.3 million, and $1.8 million over the first three years |
| Three-year total | About $4.6 million | About $5.3 million |
| Can it change later? | Yes. Any party can leave with 180 days' notice. | Ambulances, staff, and radios are bought up front. |
What It Comes Down To
I don't envy Maury County's commissioners. EMS loses money everywhere, and they have every right to look hard at a new bill.
But the costs of these two paths are comparable. When that's the case, the decision should come down to which one takes better care of people.
Maury Regional's leadership has talked about a vision of regional EMS that crosses invisible county lines. It's a good vision, and Spring Hill already has it. Taking it apart would be a step away from where everyone says they want to go.
This decision also doesn't have to settle everything forever. Maury County's mayor has framed it as a decision about the next 18 months. Keeping one service gives everyone time to plan the long-term answer without putting 26,000 people through a rushed change in January.
A county line shouldn't decide how quickly help gets to you.
What Happens Next
The Road to January 1
- Oct 21 and Nov 2 Williamson County committees approve the agreement, 6-0 and 5-0
- Mon, Nov 9, 4:30 pm Maury County Budget Committee meets in Columbia
- Mon, Nov 9, 6:00 pm Williamson County Commission votes
- Mon, Nov 16, 6:30 pm Maury County Commission votes in Columbia
- Dec 31 Today's coverage agreement ends
How You Can Help
Whichever side of the county line you live on, this decision affects your family, and the Maury County commissioners need to hear from you this week. Mayor Fitterer is asking every Spring Hill resident, in both counties, to contact them, and I agree. It takes about a minute. We've written a starting draft, and you can change it however you like.
Email the Maury County Commission
Please keep it kind. These are our neighbors, and they're trying to be good stewards of their county's money. A short, respectful note about why this matters to your family will go a long way.
You can also come to the Maury County Commission meeting on November 16 at 6:30 pm at 6 Public Square in Columbia.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Sources
- Maury County Health and Environment Committee, Nov. 2, 2026: Williamson County's presentation
- Same meeting: Maury Regional's presentation and commissioner questions
- Maury Regional Health EMS presentation (PDF)
- Williamson County Commission November 2026 packet (Resolution 11-26-25 and the draft agreement)
- Spring Hill Resolution 26-257 (coverage through December 31)
- Maury County meeting calendar