SUMMARY: Senator Bill Hagerty visited the disaster relief center at Bristol Motor Speedway, acknowledging FEMA’s improving response to recent floods but criticizing its initial delays. He expressed concern over serious management issues within FEMA, including understaffing and misplaced priorities. Hagerty noted that FEMA should establish its operations closer to affected areas rather than in remote locations. He is actively pressuring the agency to enhance its efforts, and while he has observed some progress, he believes more urgent action is necessary to effectively support flood victims.

Hagerty said that FEMA’s response is improving, but it was initially slow.

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SUMMARY: The Memphis Fire Department faces a critical shortage of fire engines, worsened by a recent collision between two trucks responding to an emergency. The city currently operates with 55 fire trucks, 18 of which are over 15 years old and need replacement. Each new fire engine costs between $800,000 and $1.5 million, requiring city council approval and potentially taking up to a year for delivery. According to Fire Chief Gina Sweat and the Memphis Firefighters Association president Thomas Malone, outdated equipment poses a safety risk for civilians, with over 500 emergency calls responded to daily. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from the accident.

For years, the Memphis Fire Department (MFD) has operated with out-of-date equipment or an inadequate number of fire engines. This issue is only growing worse after two fire engines ran into each other downtown Wednesday night. READ MORE: https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/crash-involving-two-mfd-trucks-a-big-hit-to-departments-equipment-shortage/article_ad49a6a4-87b8-11ef-8026-9f9d78ef65ec.html

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SUMMARY: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is utilizing $100 million from TennCare’s shared savings account to provide emergency loans to counties affected by Hurricane Helene. This account, unique in the nation, allows Tennessee to retain savings from operating its Medicaid program under a spending cap. Lee emphasized that these funds are designated for the health and welfare of Tennesseans. The communities receiving the loans must repay them, replenishing the fund. The state‘s FY 2025 budget includes over $600 million from shared savings to support various health initiatives, including Medicaid expansions and a program supplying diapers to low-income children.

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