The Chattanooga Fire Department’s minimum hiring age is now 18. The Chattanooga City Council approved the change in a recent vote.
“This change represents a critical step forward in expanding opportunities for young people in Chattanooga,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “By lowering the fire department’s minimum hiring age to 18, we’re helping the CFD recruit talented public servants while opening doors for motivated high school graduates to begin meaningful and rewarding careers.
“This initiative will strengthen our fire department and allow us to keep pace with departments nationwide.”
The CFD’s previous minimum hiring age was 21, and individuals had to wait three years after graduating high school to seek employment with the department. Now, the CFD can access potential hires right out of high school.
Other fire departments both regionally and nationally hire at 18, including Bradley County Fire Rescue and the Cleveland, Catoosa County, Murfreesboro, Oak Ridge, Knoxville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Atlanta, Cobb County and Gwinnett County fire departments. Large cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles also hire at 18.
Tennessee state law has always set the age of 18 to be the minimum age for a certified firefighter. Many of the CFD’s firefighters obtained experience with other departments before being hired in Chattanooga.
Efforts are also underway at the CFD to address residency requirements and base pay.
CO.LAB launches workforce development
The Company Lab (CO.LAB) has formed a new partnership with gener8tor as part of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s “Digital Skills, Education, and Workforce Development Grant.”
This grant will support a six-week virtual workforce development program for unemployed or underemployed individuals in the counties of Rhea, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Marion, Grundy, Polk, Meigs, Bradley, Hamilton and McMinn, and is provided at no cost to participants who are eligible for funding.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and United States Department of Labor, unemployment was at around 3.4%, or 117,000 people, by the end of 2023,” says CO.LAB Director of Community Engagement Allie Schrenker. “On top of that, 45% of employers are reporting talent shortages across the country. We believe this accelerator can help reduce these numbers while supporting our local community’s potential.”
Aspects of the program include one-on-one career coaching, a weekly lunch-and-learn series and resume and cover letter development.
Gener8tor statistics report the 2,800 individuals who went through the program resulted in an 85.7% graduation rate, and 57.1% of graduates from three or more months ago have found job placement.
Apply for the Tennessee gSkills Accelerator at www.gener8tor.com/skills/tennessee.
CHI Memorial begins capital campaign
CHI Memorial has opened its “Invest in the Best” capital campaign, a multimillion-dollar initiative aimed at expanding and enhancing patient care across a range of critical specialties. The campaign will focus on cardiac care, emergency services, interventional pulmonology, stroke and neuroscience, and oncology.
Hospital leadership and community leaders have already raised more than $12.9 million of the $20.65 million goal.
The goal is to raise the final $7.75 million by June 2025. Donations can be made at investinchatt.org or by calling 423 495-4438. All donations designated for CHI Memorial’s Foundation will remain in Chattanooga.
“Health care is a shared responsibility,” says CHI Memorial market president Janelle Reilly. “It takes all of us – health care providers, community leaders and citizens – to create an environment where everyone has access to the care they need. The public phase of our Invest in the Best capital campaign is a way for everyone to get involved and join the nearly 60 donors who have made this effort possible to date.”
The campaign will invest in two new cardiac CT machines, enabling The Chattanooga Heart Institute and Guerry Heart and Vascular Center to screen more than 36,000 patients in the next five years. This technology will facilitate early detection and treatment of cardiovascular issues and disease.
Additionally, the campaign will fund the development of the nation’s first cardiac amyloid community screening program.
CHI Memorial’s emergency department will undergo a major renovation to create a more welcoming environment and increase operational efficiency. The campaign will fund expanded patient bed capacity, enhanced privacy during triage and registration, and a new virtual platform to streamline patient access to urgent and emergency care. A dedicated chaplain will also be added.
The campaign will also fund a new surgery suite for the interventional pulmonology team and enable CHI Memorial to expand its stroke and neuroscience services with a new neuro intensive care unit and stroke step-down patient care unit.
Finally, the Rees Skillern Cancer Institute will receive a new linear accelerator, providing enhanced radiation capabilities for more than 1,000 patients and 16,000 radiation treatments annually.
Hunter receives conference awards
The Hunter Museum of American Art is the recipient of five Southeastern Museums Conference awards, including one for publication design and four for the use of technology.
The SEMC technology and publication design competitions recognize excellence and innovation in the use of technology, communications and graphic design, and provide benchmarks for regional publication efforts in southeastern museums.
The Hunter received three gold awards for digital marketing and virtual media projects, one silver award for a gallery installation, and one bronze award for mailers.
UTC’s nursing graduates ace licensure exam
Every May 2024 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate has passed the National Council Licensure Examination on the first attempt, fulfilling the requirement for licensure as a registered nurse.
Of the 34 students in the May graduating class, most are now working in the Chattanooga area in major acute care facilities. Some have returned to their hometowns or have gone to a new city to start their careers.
“Our faculty and students share a commitment to excellence in preparing for careers in nursing,” School of Nursing Director and UTC Chief Health Affairs Officer Chris Smith says. “Achieving a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX is objective proof of that dedication.”
The NCLEX is a nationally recognized examination developed and maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. State boards of nursing consider the results of the NCLEX when deciding whether or not to issue a nursing license.
The Tennessee State Board of Nursing requires all schools and colleges of nursing to maintain a pass rate greater than 80%. UTC has exceeded that minimum every year since the statistics were first tracked in 2007.
“We continue to have excellent outcomes thanks to a dedicated faculty,” Smith adds. “The NCLEX exam is a rigorous, standardized test that every state regulatory board uses to assess whether graduates are ready to become licensed and step into practice as entry-level nurses.
“Passing this exam signifies that a nurse has proven their ability to provide direct patient care, assume leadership roles, educate patients and families, and serve as an advocate for their patients.”
United Way unveils record community impact
United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s 2024 Annual Report highlights a 50% increase in services provided through funded nonprofits, emergency assistance to families, and the launch of new initiatives like United for Working Families to address longstanding challenges.
During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, new milestones were reached with community partners. Coordinated tutoring for 2,284 elementary students boosted learning and mentorship, emergency assistance provided $765,000 in emergency aid and answered more than 73,000 211 requests for critical needs, and nonprofit investment facilitated 306,429 services through funded nonprofits – a 50% increase.
The report also shines a spotlight on individual stories – from supporting a young boy’s journey from foster care to independence to partnering with local leaders in advocating for family-friendly workplace policies.
Read the full report at unitedwaycha.org/our-work/annual-report.