Some Chattanooga firefighters noticed people acting suspiciously near their fire station earlier this year and suspected gangs were in the neighborhood.
Fire Chief Randy Parker said he met with police Chief Freeman Cooper and the commander of the police gang unit, and he sent some firefighters to the police department’s in-service training on gang activity.
“They had some concerns about gang activity, and they were seeing an upsurge and they just had some questions,” Chief Parker said.
The firefighters found the class so valuable they suggested all firefighters learn about gangs. Chattanooga police will teach gang awareness during the fire department’s in-service training in early January.
“It’s just basically awareness of what things mean, what you see, what to look for,” Chief Parker said.