Firefighter Spotlight
Firefighter Spotlight
Captain, EMT Randy Porter
Why did you join the Hendersonville Fire Department?
While attending Volunteer State College, I was a volunteer
firefighter here in Hendersonville. I had applied to
Nashville Fire Department and been accepted.
At that same time, a position came available here,
so I jumped at the opportunity. I had already
made some good friends within our department
and loved the job, plus…Hendersonville was home.
What do you like most about the Hendersonville Fire Department?
Firefighters can make a positive difference in someone’s life,
every day they go to work. No other job offers that. I think
we all enjoy the excitement and the fact that no two days
are alike. As for HFD, we have a great group of men and
since we spend a third of our life together, that’s important.
What is the most significant development in your career?
In addition to fire protection, we have evolved into a department
that offers so much more. We now answer medical calls and
all our men are licensed to provide emergency medical care.
That’s a major advancement for us and has saved countless
lives. Because of logistics, we can get a fire engine to you faster,
so this is a great concept.
We now address hazardous materials emergencies of all
types whereas in the past, we had to rely on Nashville.
We have recently formed water rescue teams, within
the department. With twenty six miles of shoreline,
this is a vital service and is long overdue. Our city
leaders are recognizing these needs in the city
and are helping us expand our service to the
citizens. Of course we continue to provide
public fire education in our schools as well as
CPR and first aid training for the public.
What are your future plans?
As far as my future plans, right now my plan is to help my
son through college and spend as much time with my family
as possible. We do a lot of things together and always have.
I want to continue that. I was also a pilot for years and would
like to fly again in the future.
