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Knox County fire and rescue: north end busiest, county saw six on-scene fire fatalities in 2024
Summary
Director Brent Seymour reported that about 55% of Knox County fire/rescue runs are medical calls and that October remains the busiest month; Tennessee recorded 89 fire deaths in 2024 with six in Knox County. Commissioners asked about readiness for wind-driven incidents and access issues caused by street parking.
Brent Seymour, director of the county's fire and technical rescue committee, briefed the commission on Jan. 27 with a quarterly update on runs, prevention and training.
Seymour said about 55 percent of Knox County run calls are medical in nature, and noted October is typically the busiest month for agencies because of fire-prevention outreach. He described outreach efforts that reached more than 10,000 local residents over the quarter, smoke-alarm campaigns, open houses and training including vehicle-extrication and search-and-rescue certifications.
On statewide statistics, Seymour said Tennessee had 89 fire deaths in 2024 across 76 incidents and Knox County accounted for six of those deaths. He outlined ongoing efforts to reduce those numbers by reinforcing fire-investigation teams and collaborating with county fire-marshal staff.
Commissioners asked whether departments train for fast-moving wind events that spread fire from house to house and how street parking can impede emergency access. Seymour said crews train on exposure protection and that the fire prevention bureau reviews plans during development, working with public works to catch access problems before construction is final.
Next steps: Commissioner Fraser requested reports from local agencies on recent incidents for the next fire and technical rescue committee meeting.
