CLARKSVILLE, TN – Sixteen new Clarksville Fire Rescue firefighters were sworn in Friday morning in front of a full house at CFR Headquarters. City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts administered the oath of office, and then firefighters were pinned and presented their helmets by loved ones. Then, each firefighter was assigned to one of CFR’s three shifts.
This was the first recruit class to go through CFR’s new six-month recruit academy, which began on July 28, 2025. In addition to earning their Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazmat Awareness, and Hazmat Operations certifications, this is also the first recruit class at CFR to graduate from the academy with their Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certifications.
Five specialty awards were presented by the instructor cadre during the ceremony:
- Honor Recruit: Chance Schmittou
- Highest GPA: Zachary McDonald
- Fastest Fireground Physical Ability Test (FPAT): Chance Schmittou
- Most Improved Recruit: Stephen Averitt
- Instructor Cadre Award: Ryan Huntzinger
The 16 new firefighters will report to their assigned shifts beginning Saturday, January 24.