Rutherford County Fire-Rescue Department

Rutherford County Fire Rescue (RCFR) grew out of 11 independent volunteer fire departments that served unincorporated parts of the county under contract before 2010, when the County created a single countywide agency. The department stayed volunteer-staffed with a full-time chief until a 2014 SAFER grant funded its first 12 career firefighters, operating out of a single Barfield Road station. Growth followed quickly: a second full-time station arrived with the 2016 merger of Walter Hill Volunteer Fire Department, and a third came in 2019 when Rutherford County EMS Special Operations merged into RCFR, followed by six new Public Safety Buildings approved in 2020-2021.

Today RCFR runs an all-hazards operation across 7 stations with 111 full-time personnel working 48/96 shifts, backed by a Training Division that operates an in-house recruit academy and a Special Operations Division trained in hazmat, swift water and dive rescue, collapse and trench rescue, high/low-angle rescue, and tactical medical support. As one of the fastest-growing counties in Tennessee, the department continues to add stations and staffing to keep pace with demand.

RCFR recruits firefighters who want a hands-on, all-hazards career with a department that trains heavily in special operations and runs a family-oriented, team-based culture. New hires go through the department's in-house recruit academy and work a 48-hours-on, 96-hours-off schedule.