News Releases

Chattanooga Fire hosted a trench rescue technician class that provided realistic scenarios and hands-on learning opportunities for area agencies. Cleveland TN Fire Department, Bradley County Fire and Rescue, Signal Mountain Fire Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office - TN had personnel taking the course which was held off Discovery Drive near the VW plant. Members of the class learned about the dynamics and dangers of a trench and how to properly stabilize walls. Our instructors taught them how to recognize possible collapses and how to enter a trench safely for the rescue/recovery of a victim while overcoming various obstacles. Participants worked in different shaped trenches of varying depths. Special thanks to Marion Environmental for bringing out their vac truck for the class to practice removing large amounts of dirt very quickly. This week, CFD’s squad companies will be at the same site doing similar drills for training purposes.

Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, Chattanooga firefighters and the CFD’s Special Operations Division worked an extrication Saturday night 10/28/23 at mile marker 9.4 on Interstate 75 Southbound between the Ooltewah and Volkswagen exit. A truck ran off the road after 5 PM and ended up in the woods. It was a joint effort by both departments to cut the driver out. Hamilton County EMS then transported the driver to local hospital. 

Here's a detailed explanation from the incident report: At 17:08 on 10/28/23, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Squad 13, and the Battalion Chief for District 2 Green Shift were dispatched to a reported MVC with entrapment involving a semi-truck off the interstate at the 940 mile marker on I-75 SB. TCFD was also dispatched as part of the area’s automatic aid agreement. Squad 7 also requested an additional squad, Squad 19, to be assigned to the call for additional assistance as needed. CFD Special Operations also responded to the scene to assist as well. S7 arrived on scene and established command with CPD, who was already on scene. The semi-truck was located approximately 80 feet off the roadway in the wooded area beside the interstate. It was the only vehicle involved in the incident. The tractor of the semi had heavy front-end impingement from a collision with a large tree. The tractor and portion of the trailer were suspended over the embankment due to being caught in additional trees. Contact was made with the party inside by CPD and CFD personnel and it was confirmed that there was no hazardous material being hauled in the trailer. The trailer had also suffered front end damage during the collision, but no contents had escaped from it. TCFD units arrived on scene to provide aid as needed. Three Paratech struts with extensions were used, along with CFD pickets to secure the suspended portion of the vehicle before extrication began. Multiple extinguishers were brought to the scene for fire control by L7 personnel, who also provided aid in managing and placing the Paratech struts along with TCFD personnel. A salvage tub was placed under the truck to collect leaking fluids during extrication operations once the struts were in place. Multiple eDRAULIC spreaders were used on both sides of the tractor, along with a TCFD ladder to allow CFD and HCEMS personnel access to provide initial medical care for the driver. S7 and S13 personnel, along with TCFD personnel, performed extrication operations with 28 and 32-inch spreaders, J-Hook chain clusters, and reciprocating saws. S19 built a low-angle rope system to help retrieve the patient once the extrication was complete and provided additional manpower. A chainsaw and bolt cutters were used to provide a clear path to the rope system and a hoseline was placed and manned during the extrication operations. The patient was unable to open the doors of the vehicle and both of their legs were pinned by the dash assembly. The extrication involved two door pops, a cut along the body of the top of the sleeper of the tractor trailer to allow for movement of the tractor body when needed, and a dash push and partial dash removal using spreaders and reciprocating saws. The steering wheel was also moved and secured using J-Hook chain clusters to create additional room for the patient. Once the patient was freed, they were placed on a backboard and then a Stokes basket where they were brought up the embankment and turned over to HCEMS. All units removed their equipment and placed it on the respective trucks and were then cleared to leave the scene. Monteagle Towing and Recovery arrived on scene and took over removing the truck from the wooded area, as well as hazmat cleanup. Any remaining units were cleared to return to service at 19:04.

Squad 1, Squad 20 and Battalion 1 Green Shift assisted Lookout Mountain FD and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue with carrying out a fall victim Saturday afternoon 10/28/23 at Sunset Rock (390 W Brow Road). A 22-year-old female hiker fell approximately 30 feet off the edge of the bluff. There was a physician on scene tending to her and she did not appear to have serious injuries. She was transported to the hospital by HCEMS.

A wreck involving an overturned semi and a tanker truck caused a mess on Interstate 24 early Saturday morning and sent one of the truck drivers to the hospital. Around 6 AM on 10/28/23, members of the Chattanooga Fire Department responded to I-24 EB at mile marker 175 on a two-vehicle accident with an open-top tractor trailer full of trash and a tanker truck transporting canola oil. The truck carrying trash overturned on the bridge, scattering debris all over the eastbound lanes and onto Browns Ferry Road down below it. The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries. The eastbound lanes were shut down for hours and then one lane reopened for traffic. Firefighters stopped a diesel fuel leak from the overturned truck. CFD’s Special Operations Chief and several fire companies were on the scene, along with TDOT and law enforcement. A private company conducted cleanup of the trash and fuel spill. The wreck caused backups all day long on the interstate and other roadways as drivers sought alternate routes.