The Chattanooga Fire Department’s minimum hiring age is now 18, allowing us to recruit a new demographic group. We would like to thank the support of our city leaders after the Chattanooga City Council held a final vote to approve the change today. It will positively impact our overall potential candidate pool, giving us access to a greater number of individuals seeking rewarding careers in the fire service.
“This change represents a critical step forward in expanding opportunities for young people in Chattanooga who are eager to serve their community,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “By lowering the Chattanooga Fire Department’s minimum hiring age to 18, we are helping CFD recruit talented public servants while opening doors for motivated high school graduates to begin meaningful and rewarding careers. I’m grateful to our city leaders for supporting this initiative, which will strengthen our fire department and allow us to keep pace with departments nationwide. Together, we’re investing in the future of our fire service and the safety of our city.”
Previously, our minimum hiring age was 21 and individuals had to wait three years after graduating high school to seek employment with our fire department. They either go to college, find other work, or work toward other vocational careers. Now, our recruiting efforts in area high schools will be more productive and allow us to access potential hires right out of high school.
This further enhances our recruitment strategies as the CFD seeks to keep the number of applicants high in order to fill vacancies quicker. Other fire departments both regionally and nationally hire at 18, including Cleveland (TN) Fire Department, Bradley County Fire Rescue, Catoosa County Fire Department, Murfreesboro Fire Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Knoxville Fire Department, Birmingham Fire Department, Huntsville Fire Department, Mobile Fire Department, Atlanta Fire Department, Cobb County Fire Department, and Gwinnett County Fire Department. Big 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 our current firefighters obtained experience with other departments prior to being hired by Chattanooga.
This age change is one of the fire service’s ways to adapt to a different hiring climate and prevent missed opportunities to find quality candidates. It is just one of the initiatives our command staff has pushed for as they continue to look to the future of the department. Efforts are also underway to address our residency requirements and base pay.
“This is a positive, welcome change for the Chattanooga Fire Department and the surrounding community. It will greatly help our recruitment efforts,” said Fire Chief Phil Hyman.
