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CFD History

History of the Cookeville Fire Department

The Cookeville Fire Department was officially formed in 1917 but records show an organized group of seventeen individuals responding to fires as early as 1906. The first appointed fire chief of the department was J.M. Loftis. The first full-time fire fighter was Bill Chaffin in July of 1925. The first motorized apparatus was purchased in 1925 and is still in possession of the Cookeville Fire Department today. A new location for the fire department happened in 1967 and stations 2 and 3 were added in 1974. A fourth station was added in 2002. The department was mostly volunteer until the mid-seventies. At that time protection was provided to the citizens by full-time members and supported by volunteers.

This is only a short summary of the history of the Cookeville Fire Department. For additional information about the department’s history please read the Article Compiled by Laura Clemons in 1986 (PDF).

Past Fire Chiefs

The City of Cookeville has had numerous Fire Chiefs over the years. Here is a partial list of names and service dates:

Dawson Morgan
Emil Jenson
Frank Moss
Frank Wirt
J.M. Loftis
Jess Foutch
McCoy Shelton
Billy Sliger - February 1, 1990 to November 17, 1994
Eugene Schmid - January 22, 1995 to January 2, 2006
John Kendrick - January 2, 2006 to April 7, 2011
Roger Fuqua - June 19, 2011 to June 30, 2017
Daryl Blair - 2017- 2021
Benton Young 2021 - Present

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