July 12, 2016

Fast-Growing Schilling No Problem for Fire Department


By Elizabeth Sipps
– The Collierville Herald –

Two apartment complexes have brought a growing population density to Schilling Farms, but have posed no out of the ordinary call loads on the Collierville Fire Department. “Of course, any call over there is an addition to our current load, but it’s not any kind of stretch beyond normal.” said fire chief Dennis Rutledge.

The apartments there are afforded extra fire protection with the sprinkler systems which have been required since 1991. Automatic sprinklers are required in Collierville by ordinance for all new residential multi-family construction, and Schilling Farms is no exception.

The ordinance, incorporated at the fire department’s request, was put into effect in 1991 and revised in 1993. It required that multi-family construction, which consists of mainly apartments, be equipped with automatic sprinklers to protect them from large fires that can put several families out of their homes.

“I don’t know of any fires in those two apartment complexes, but I know of two other complexes where we’ve had four or five kitchen fires that were confined and extinguished by the sprinkler system so that all we had to do when we got there was mop up a little water and go home.” said Fire Chief Dennis Rutledge.

If a fire is reported, currently the Byhalia Road station is the first that will respond. Depending on the type of call, other stations will also respond. Schilling Farms is fortunate to be located between the Byhalia Rd., fire station and the new station being built on Houston Levee Rd., just north of the Nonconnah Parkway, and it will be covered by both.