KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Members of the Knoxville Fire Department gathered at the training academy Friday night to honor seven people who earned new titles in the department.
Six of them were promoted to captain. After more than a year of going through the promotion process, along with a week of intense training and classes, those firefighters are taking on a new leadership role. They will be one of the first people to respond in cases of emergencies.
"It's exciting, but also nerve-wracking knowing that you are now in charge of making some very big decisions, and potentially life-changing decisions," said Brad Elliott, a captain firefighter.
The people who were promoted are listed below.
Captain:
- Linny Blair
- Stephen Brunson
- Cory Dotson
- Brad Elliott
- Shannon Johnson
- Jacob Mason
Master Firefighter:
- David Dyer
Master firefighters are recognized for reaching high levels of training and experience in a particular specialty such as rescue, hazardous materials or driving and operating a pump.
They are usually given additional responsibilities while also being given additional compensation.