Sevier County Judge Jeff Rader Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7-month quest for Gatlinburg fire records reflects poorly on state transparency

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T08:50:37-05:00June 30, 2017|Categories: investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Deputy Attorney General Janet Kleinfelter, Gatlinburg fire, Knoxville News Sentinel, Sevier County District Attorney Jimmy Dunn, Sevier County Judge Jeff Rader, TEMA|4 Comments

The November 2016 Gatlinburg fire killed 14 people and cost millions of dollars in damages. It was one of Tennessee’s worst disasters. A central question remains: Why did state and local officials wait so long to order an evacuation, until after the fire had already swept into residential areas? Some who lived through last-minute escapes have told news reporters that they had called 911 and were instructed it was safe to stay put. The answer to the evacuation question, and many others, could lay in the communication records and other post-fire reports held by state and local officials. But almost as soon as news organizations and citizens started requesting to [...]

Knoxville News Sentinel: Judge lifts blackout on Gatlinburg fire records

After months of unfulfilled public records requests to state and local government agencies for Gatlinburg fire records, the Knoxville News Sentinel learned that a judge issued an order three weeks ago saying nothing in the case before him precluded the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency from releasing public records about the fire. "This court did not intend to direct or address the actions of any other entities or parties not specifically involved in these cases. ... TEMA has not been ordered to provide nor precluded from providing any information pertaining to its duties under the Public Records Act." The Tennessee Attorney General's office, which petitioned the judge for guidance, received the [...]