A former Wilson County firefighter and union president says he was fired after publicly pressing for more people on the county’s fire engines, turning a long-running staffing fight into a federal lawsuit. The case puts an uncomfortable question before the county: how much room does a public employee have to warn residents about emergency-response gaps before that warning becomes a personnel problem?
Colton Young and the Wilson County Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 4238, filed the lawsuit Friday against Wilson County, the Wilson County Emergency Management Agency and two WEMA officials, according to NewsChannel 5. Young worked for the county beginning in 2015, became a full-time firefighter and advanced emergency medical technician in 2016, led the union beginning in 2022 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2023.
The dispute centers on how many firefighters ride each WEMA engine. The lawsuit says engines were staffed with two firefighters while the union pushed for three, citing a National Fire Protection Association standard that calls for four-person engine companies.
This was not a brand-new concern when Young took it public. WKRN News 2 reported last fall that Wilson County had 11 EMA stations, some operating with two people on an engine, while Young argued that three-person crews would give responders more help with hydrants, rescues and simultaneous calls.
Young spoke at a county committee meeting, participated in media interviews and contacted county commissioners directly, according to the complaint. It says he was notified December 1, 2025, that he was under investigation for alleged disrespectful behavior, later suspended and told not to contact other county employees without permission before being fired December 12, 2025.
The filing says WEMA Director Joey Cooper initially told Young he was being terminated for speaking with another union member while under the no-contact order. A later dismissal letter also cited messages Young sent county officials about staffing and employee morale, which Young and the union argue were statements made as a private citizen and union president about matters of public concern.
The union claims the firing chilled other WEMA employees from speaking out, cost it about 15% of its membership and ended its campaign for increased staffing. Young and the association are seeking back pay, benefits, reinstatement or front pay, damages and attorneys’ fees.
The Staffing Standard And Legal Stakes
The lawsuit’s reference to NFPA 1710 matters because it is widely treated as a professional benchmark, not a statute that automatically requires every department to comply. The International Association of Fire Fighters says the standard calls for at least four firefighters per engine company and describes that staffing level as important to public and firefighter safety.
Wilson County and WEMA had not issued a response in the report, which said officials were contacted for comment. The allegations remain unproven in court, and the lawsuit now places both Young’s firing and the county’s engine staffing practices under legal scrutiny, with the next steps likely to determine whether the staffing fight moves from committee meetings into discovery and courtroom arguments.
