NEWPORT-The Newport Fire Department was recently recognized at the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Annual Conference in Nashville on July 12, 2010 by the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy.  

The award was presented to Fire Chief Randy Ragan during the Chiefs Conference.  The award recognizes the commitment the Newport Fire Department has shown to the safety of firefighters and the citizens they protect.  The department accumulated 1,345 hours of training for fiscal year 2009-2010.  When asked about the training, Chief Ragan said that the hours show how committed the Newport Fire Department is to serving the community and our visitors. 

The classes included Firefighter Safety, Introduction to Fire Pumps, Drivers' Training, Fire Behavior, and many others.  Training Officer Shannon Ball stated that the staff at the fire department should receive the credit for their commitment to the citizens of Newport and Cocke County.  "Our firefighters are among the best in the state" Ball said.  "I am very proud of our staff, both for the hours accumulated in the classroom, as well as their time spent in the field working on skills to improve the fire protection services we provide."

Region 1 Coordinator Charlie Lewis visited the Newport fire station to present the department with the certificate documenting the training hours achieved. Lewis said that after more than 30 years in the fire service, this was the first time he had presented this department with the award.   "This fire department has shown its dedication to the fire service, and I look forward to watching it grow and prosper in years to come" Lewis said.  He also said that compared to larger departments in the state, the Newport Fire Department logged nearly the same amount of hours as some of those larger departments; efforts the community should be proud of.

Chief Ragan and Training Officer Ball would like to thank the City of Newport and its citizens for their continued support of the Newport Fire Department and wanted to say that, together, we can help make Newport and Cocke County a safer place to live, work, and play.