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Atoka swears in two firefighters, highlights volunteer-to-full-time pathway
Summary
The board administered the oath to Hunter Elmore and Austin Ellis; Elmore moved from the volunteer reserves into a full-time role and Ellis joined the department after five years with the Memphis Fire Department and National Guard service.
Mayor Barry Aiken and fire-department leadership introduced and swore in two new members of the Atoka Fire Department during the Feb. 18 board meeting.
Hunter Elmore, who joined the department in March as a volunteer reserve and was later hired full time in November, and Austin Ellis, who joined Atoka in December after five years with the Memphis Fire Department and service in the National Guard, each took the Atoka Firefighters Oath of Office.
Fire leadership highlighted the volunteer program as a recruitment pathway to full-time employment; the mayor invited family and board members to congratulate the new firefighters, and the board acknowledged the appointments with applause and photos.
The board indicated the department values the experience Ellis brings from a larger metropolitan department and the continuity provided by internal promotions like Elmore’s.
