Sevier County

Northview/Kodak Fire Department Joins Sevier County Fire/Rescue Jan. 1 as Pittman Center’s Oct. 31 Deadline Nears

The Northview/Kodak Fire Department will merge into Sevier County Fire/Rescue on Jan. 1 after county commissioners approved the agreement in October. The deal adds nine full-time firefighters. In Pittman Center, the volunteer department’s Oct. 31 shutdown deadline still stands.

Tracy King

22 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Fire coverage is changing in rural Sevier County, from Kodak to Pittman Center. Illustrative photo.

The Northview/Kodak Fire Department will become part of Sevier County Fire/Rescue on Jan. 1. Sevier County commissioners approved the merger agreement at their Oct. 19 meeting, The Mountain Press reported, and the deal brings nine new full-time firefighters to the north end of the county.

On the other side of the county, a second fire department is still waiting on its own answer. The Pittman Center Community Volunteer Fire Department has said it will stop answering calls on Oct. 31 unless it reaches a merger or other agreement with the county. As of Wednesday night, Oct. 21, that deadline was still in place, according to WBIR.

For homeowners, both stories come back to the same question: who shows up when the house is on fire, and how fast.

What the Northview/Kodak agreement does

The Oct. 19 Sevier County Commission agenda listed Resolution 2026-10-14, “A Resolution to Approve the Northview/Kodak Fire Department Merger Agreement,” under new business.

Under the agreement, the county takes over Northview/Kodak’s main station and a substation the department shares with the Sevier County Rescue Squad. The county will also add nine full-time firefighters to cover the new area, according to The Mountain Press.

Current Northview/Kodak staff may be able to move over. “Employees (Northview-Kodak) has that meet the job performance requirements for the county would be eligible to transfer over,” Sevier County Fire/Rescue Chief David Puckett said, as quoted by The Mountain Press.

Why the merger happened now

Northview/Kodak spent most of its history as a volunteer department. In recent years the City of Sevierville paid for some of its firefighters to work full-time and cover the north side of the coverage area.

That changed in September. Sevierville Fire Department’s new Station 4 in Kodak became fully operational on Tuesday, Sept. 1, The Mountain Press reported. The city hired firefighters for the new station and stopped funding Northview/Kodak. Northview/Kodak officials then went to the county, and after months of talks the county agreed to make it the next department to join Sevier County Fire/Rescue.

Station 4 has 26 personnel: eight firefighters per shift plus two administrative positions on weekdays, with a dedicated engine company and truck company. It covers the city limits north of Boyd’s Creek Highway and I-40, from the Knox County line to the Jefferson County line.

Pittman Center: the Oct. 31 deadline

The Pittman Center volunteers told county leaders over the summer they could not keep staffing the department safely. Their letter, signed by Board of Advisors Vice President John C. Crawley, also warned that thin staffing could hurt the department’s Insurance Services Office rating. WVLT reported that such a change would likely raise property insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses there.

The county formed a task force in July. On Oct. 21, Sevier County Mayor Bryan McCarter told WBIR there had been “countless discussions” and real progress, but no formal merger or agreement. He said the county plans to formally ask the volunteers to push back the Oct. 31 deadline because the department covers both the town of Pittman Center and unincorporated county land.

How big is the Pittman Center district?

The reported figures vary a little by source and date, so here is each one with its source:

Measure	Figure	Source
Coverage area	23.75 square miles, including six in the town	The Mountain Press, July 24
Coverage area	About 23 square miles, two stations	WVLT, July 23
Coverage area	Roughly 24 square miles	WBIR
2025 calls	244: 101 in town, 113 in the county, 30 mutual aid	The Mountain Press, July 24
Calls last year	Roughly 250	WVLT, July 23
Annual operating cost	About $360,000	WVLT, July 23
2025 support	$139,037 from the county, $10,000 from the city	The Mountain Press, July 24
Membership	About 12 members	WBIR

WVLT reported that county officials said a full merger would take about two years to staff and train. Chief Puckett has also asked the county’s emergency services committee to pause on absorbing more volunteer departments for at least three years after Pittman Center and Northview, so he can bring back a full plan.

How Sevier County Fire/Rescue got here

Sevier County Fire/Rescue was created in 2023 when it merged with the Sevier County Fire Department. Since then it has absorbed the New Center and Wears Valley departments. The Mountain Press reported that the county created it because more remote areas were being developed for overnight rentals and volunteer numbers have been falling nationwide.

Northview/Kodak makes the next one. Pittman Center may follow, or it may end up with some other arrangement. McCarter told WBIR that options include helping the department keep going as it is, the county absorbing it, or the city taking a role.

Other items on the Oct. 19 county agenda

Resolutions 2026-10-15 and 2026-10-16 on general obligation bonds of not to exceed $20,000,000.
Resolution 2026-10-17 to appropriate up to $2,208,642 for the raw water intake at Douglas Lake.
Resolution 2026-10-06 on possible litigation to enforce the zoning resolution against a Pine Mountain Road event venue.
Resolution 2026-10-04 on eliminating the Pigeon Forge and Sevierville planning regions, covered in Sevier County Moves to Take Full Planning Control Outside City Limits Oct. 19.

Fire service dates to watch

Sept. 1, 2026 — Sevierville Fire Station 4 in Kodak goes into service.
Oct. 19, 2026 — Sevier County Commission agenda includes the Northview/Kodak merger agreement.
Oct. 31, 2026 — Pittman Center volunteers’ stated deadline to cease operations without an agreement.
Jan. 1, 2027 — Northview/Kodak merges into Sevier County Fire/Rescue.

What it means for homeowners in Kodak and Pittman Center

Ask your insurer, not your neighbor. If you live in the Northview/Kodak or Pittman Center areas, call your agent after Jan. 1 or once Pittman Center’s status is settled. Ask whether your fire protection rating or premium is expected to change.
Buyers will ask about fire service. In mountain and rural listings, the nearest staffed station and response coverage matter to buyers and their lenders. Know which department covers your address.
Plan around the uncertainty. If you plan to list in Pittman Center this fall or winter, keep an eye on the county talks. A settled answer is easier to explain to a buyer than an open one.

For more on how Sevier County is changing its rules for hillside and wildfire-prone land, see Sevier County Zoning Rewrite Clears Planning: Hillside Overlay, Critical Slope Rules, and a Five-Foot Firewise Zone.

Thinking about selling in Kodak, Pittman Center or anywhere in the Smokies? Start with a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a firm number on your own timeline.

When does the Northview/Kodak Fire Department merge with Sevier County Fire/Rescue?

Jan. 1, 2027. Sevier County commissioners approved the merger agreement at their October meeting. The Oct. 19 agenda listed it as Resolution 2026-10-14.

What does the county take over in the merger?

The county takes over Northview/Kodak’s main station and a substation it shares with the Sevier County Rescue Squad, and adds nine full-time firefighters, according to The Mountain Press.

Is the Pittman Center volunteer fire department closing Oct. 31?

The department voted to stop operating Oct. 31 unless it reaches a merger or agreement with Sevier County Fire & Rescue. As of Oct. 21 the deadline remained, and the county planned to ask for an extension.

Could fire department changes affect my homeowners insurance?

Possibly. The Pittman Center volunteers warned that thin staffing could hurt their Insurance Services Office rating, which WVLT reported would likely raise premiums. Ask your own insurance agent about your address.

Why did Sevierville stop funding Northview/Kodak firefighters?

Sevierville opened its own Fire Station 4 in Kodak, in service since Sept. 1, 2026, and hired firefighters to staff it. The city then dropped its funding for Northview/Kodak.