Earwood Gear Honored

Robert Mitchell Earwood's gear was displayed and honored following his funeral service.

On May 3, the Spring Hill Fire Department lost one of its members during a barrage of severe thunderstorms that swept across Middle Tennessee.

At just 35 years-old, Mitchell Earwood had served as a Spring Hill firefighter since 2008, and had acted as the department’s historian. His father, Jerry Earwood, was also a firefighter, and had served at the same department alongside the current fire chief Terry Hood.

The news of Earwood’s untimely passing swept across Middle Tennessee, with thousands of bystanders watching as his funeral procession carried Earwood across Williamson County. A month later in early June, the Spring Hill community would raise nearly $10,000 for Earwood’s family through a memorial motorcycle ride.

In just the latest example of the Spring Hill community continuing to honor Earwood and his legacy, Spring Hill city leaders on Tuesday discussed the idea of naming the upcoming fire station — planned to be constructed on the corner of Duplex Road and Buckner Lane — in Earwood’s honor.

“[This is a] great gesture,” said Mayor Rick Graham. “This is the kind of stuff that makes me proud.”

Known now during the planning stages as Fire Station 4, the proposal would see the fire station be forever known as the Mitchell Earwood Fire Station Four.

Chief Hood, who was present during Tuesday’s virtual meeting, told Mayor Graham that both Earwood’s family and the entirety of the Spring Hill Fire Department were “blessed by this gesture by the city,” and that he had heard support for the proposal from people all across the state.

During the meeting, Alderman Matt Fitterer proposed postponing the vote on the proposal until a time when in-person meetings could resume so that Earwood’s family could be present. Graham agreed with Fitterer’s suggestion, as did Hood, who requested the vote be pushed to the month of October.

Fire Station 4 is currently in the design phase, with $300,000 being earmarked in this year’s budget for architectural design work.