Chattanooga leaders and citizens came together Monday to celebrate a milestone and give thanks to an institution that has helped to keep the city safe for 150 years - the Chattanooga Fire Department.
"We want to honor the department's rich history and the generations of firefighters who have dedicated their lives to answering the call for help," Chattanooga Fire Department Chief Phil Hyman said as he opened a news conference at the Chattanooga Police & Fire Pension Fund on John Douglass Drive.
"The men and women of the CFD have been here to assist and provide support in many ways for the past 150 years, whether fighting fires or preventing them, providing emergency medical assistance or searching for victims with our urban search and rescue teams or even something as simple as rescuing the family pet. The CFD was there to help," he said.
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Since its founding in 1871, the fire department has grown to now respond to an estimated 19,000 emergency calls a year, according to the Chattanooga.gov website.
"What we desire to do is help, and what the Chattanooga Fire Department does is give a venue and a skillset to be able to do that in remarkable ways," said Executive Deputy Chief Seth Miller. "We exist to solve your problems, we are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, we are here for you. That is our main message. We do that with skill, we do that with compassion and we use all of the resources that are at our fingertips to be able to do that for you and your loved ones."
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The fire department's historian, Battalion Chief David Thompson Jr., public information officer Lindsey Rogers and a team of retirees and their family members have compiled a book that showcases photos and stories that encompass the century-and-a-half of history and change experienced by the Chattanooga Fire Department, including historic moments like the hiring of its first Black and female firefighters.
Thompson said the effort to put the book together took about two years of sifting through an estimated 33,000 photos.
"It's a comprehensive history of the CFD," Rogers said.
Although Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly was not able to attend Monday's news conference, he sent a video message thanking firefighters for their tireless efforts in serving the community.
"Our firefighters have dedicated their lives to protecting our community in emergencies," Kelly said. "On behalf of the city of Chattanooga, I would like to formally say thank you to all those who serve, have served and will serve as Chattanooga firefighters. I have no doubt that the next 150 years will be met with the same level of dedication, innovation and protection that the CFD provides to our residents today."
Contact La Shawn Pagan at lpagan@timesfreepress.com.