On December 25, 2020, Anthony Warner detonated a Recreational Vehicle (RV) bomb in downtown Nashville, TN killing himself and injuring eight others. The detonation of the bomb also resulted in extensive damage to many of the surrounding buildings.
Captain Scott Burgess of the Nashville Fire Department was the initial incident commander, acting District Chief and the first arriving chief officer at the incident. In his four-hour NVERS Regional Speaker Series Presentation, Captain Burgess will provide a firsthand account and detailed review of the 2020 Nashville Bombing. Special focus will be provided on the initial response, strategies and tactics, cooperation with local, state and federal public safety partners and lessons learned.
In addition to the 2020 Nashville Bombing, Captain Burgess will also provide an overview on his response and role as a Rescue Task Force commander during the March 2023 Nashville School Shooting.
Scott Burgess spent 38 years with the Nashville, TN Fire Department. He retired as a Captain/Paramedic/ HazMat Specialist. During his career, Scott worked a variety of assignments. They have included fire suppression, marine unit, EMS, special operations and the Nashville Fire Department’s training academy. His education consists of an associate degree in Fire Science. He has 25 years of teaching experience in Fire, EMS, and hazardous materials disciplines. Scott is a lead instructor at the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), Hazardous Materials Division. In addition to his instructional duties, Scott has participated in countless reviews and rewrites of curriculum at the CDP. Scott is also a hazmat instructor for the International Association of Firefighters. Scott has spoken at both national and international conferences and has authored several articles for national publication. Scott has responded to multiple major mass casualty incidents, all hazards, and multi-day incidents. These include a multiple fatality nursing home fire, catastrophic, region-wide flooding, multiple tornado strikes in a major metropolitan area, and countless fire and hazmat events.