New fire academy class. Chattanooga Fire Chief Chris Adams is on the far right and Training Chief Phil Hyman is on the far left.
photo by Bruce Garner
The Chattanooga Fire Department started a new fire academy on Friday and it may be the largest in the department's history. The 36 recruits will go through 27 weeks of rigorous mental and physical training, including instruction on fire suppression, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials and many other related disciplines. The firefighters must also go through medical training and be EMT certified to be a Chattanooga firefighter.
If they successfully make it through all the tests and physical fitness training, they will graduate on April 13, 2017.
This class includes the 14 firefighters the department was able to hire with the $1.8 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, making this the largest fire academy anyone in the department can remember.