VIDEO: Hundreds of firefighters from across Tennessee and neighboring states came together in Gatlinburg to sharpen their skills in order to keep community members safe. โItโs the biggest training event probably in the Southeast, you know having a number of firefighters that will be trained in one weekend, and weโre just fortunate that weโve been able to do that over the time,โ Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson said. โItโs unbelievable the impact that we have on our communities with this training.โ
Classwork, hands on trainings and chief orientations all took place at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Chief Watson said the expo can help keep all of these firefighters safe while serving the community. โYou can never train enough for a job that can get you killed, and so thatโs what weโre talking about,โ Watson said. โItโs all about serving others, itโs about serving our community, so when you talk about these trainings, these are very important to learn the latest techniques and be able to do the things that we need to be able to serve our community.โ
This training takes place once a year and is funded through the state. Chief Watson said this year roughly 800 firefighters are here. He hopes each one leaves better than they came.
