The Chattanooga Fire Department is beginning 2025 with new technologies, trucks and facilities.
But before the department leaps into the year to come, Fire Chief Phil Hyman and public information officer Lindsey Rogers are offering a look at its achievements in 2024 and how they will impact what the CFD accomplishes in 2025.
A busy 2024
In 2024, the CFD responded to more than 23,000 calls, including about 400 structure fires, 7,800 EMS calls and 1,860 motor vehicle crashes. The department also received more than 1,560 “assist-a-citizen” calls.
In total, Chattanooga firefighters saved $404,779,271 in property from fire damage.
The new equipment the CFD deployed in 2024 aided in these efforts. A quint fire truck (combines the equipment capabilities of a ladder truck and the water-pumping ability of a fire engine), a ladder truck and multiple brush trucks and UTVs all arrived fresh off the assembly line and enhanced the department’s response capabilities by replacing aging elements of its fleet.
The health of the CFD’s firefighters also continued to be a priority for the department in 2024, as seen in the free esophageal cancer screenings it provided all of its crews.
In July, the department boosted its ranks by graduating 27 new firefighters from its academy. The added crewmembers proved to be an asset to the CFD in October, when the department sent dozens of Chattanooga firefighters to Northeast Tennessee to help with rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
That same month, the CFD celebrated the grand opening of Station 15 in Eastdale. The $5 million fire station replaced a 63-year-old building. The two-bay station is a 9,500 square foot building with space to accommodate more personnel and apparatus as Chattanooga continues to grow in population. The station also boasts new technologies that can provide faster response times and protective measures for emergency responders.
“We’re proud of the enhancements we made in 2024 and are excited about the future,” says Rogers.
Looking ahead
The CFD is not resting on a job well done as it begins 2025. Rather, it has a packed calendar for the year ahead.
With the support of city leadership, the CFD is making significant changes to its hiring process, including lowering its hiring age to 18 and seeking a “positive vote” in the spring on expanding its residency requirements. The Chattanooga City Council has already approved the change, which will be on the ballot in March.
“Being able to hire candidates from nearby states will allow us to have the best quality candidates,” notes Rogers.
The CFD is also looking forward to receiving even more new equipment in 2025, including four new pumpers in the spring and additional trucks in the fall.
On the education front, the CFD will put the finishing touches on its new training tower at its Amnicola Highway training center. Firefighters from across the region will use the new facility to hone their skills. The $3 million replacement tower is a joint project between the city and county and will use a variety of props and features to simulate realistic scenarios.
The CFD is also moving forward on plans for a new Fire Station 14 in St. Elmo. Fire Station 15 will serve as the design model for this and other future builds as the department works to meet Chattanooga’s increased service needs, Rogers says.
“Half of the funding for the replacement project has been secured and a new location has been chosen,” she continues. “We hope to break ground in 2025.”
CFD officials are also working to credential its new swiftwater rescue team to allow it to serve as a state asset.
Meanwhile, the department is in the planning and training stages for the development of a wildland fire team to combat brush fires. The end goal is for the wildland team to also be a deployable asset, adds Rogers.
Additional entries on the CFD’s to-do list for 2025 include promotional testing for the next round of lieutenants, captains and battalion chiefs this spring, overhauling its nozzles, which are more than 20 years old, and providing additional cancer screenings through grant funding that will screen for multiple cancers.
Finally, the department’s 2025 academy will start Jan. 24 with 37 cadets.
Hyman says he’s grateful for all of the partners who made the CFD’s initiatives in 2024 possible and will once again be supporting Chattanooga’s firefighters in 2025.
“Thanks to the Chattanooga Fire Firefighters Association Local 820, the Chattanooga chapter of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, the Chattanooga Mayor’s Office, the city council, our community partners and Mayor Tim Kelly for their support.”