Freeman becomes first female firefighter to retire from Clarksville Fire Rescue

Editor’s Note: Diana Perkey was the first female firefighter to work for Clarksville Fire Rescue in the 1980s. Freeman is the first female firefighter to retire from CFR.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) You could say that the end of an era has come at Clarksville Fire Rescue, (CFR), with the retirement of firefighter, Deborah Freeman. Over the weekend, at 8 a.m. Sunday, Freeman finished her last shift and wrapped up 24 years as a Clarksville Firefighter.

She has actually been employed by the City of Clarksville for 30 years with her first six years driving a bus for the Clarksville Transit System. When asked why she made the move to Clarksville Fire Rescue Freeman laughed and said, “because they didn’t have any women.”

“Just getting to help people,” is what Freeman said that she liked most about her job which she said was 24 hours on and 48 hours off. She said she wasn’t sure yet how she was going to feel about retiring until her next shift was coming up on Tuesday and she wouldn’t be there.

Freeman said she is really going to miss all of the guys at Fire Station 1 on Main Street where she has served for the past 16 years. Besides herself, there are now five other women firefighters at CFR but Freeman said she has not had the opportunity to work with any of them.

“I’m really going to miss being here because they treat me so good,” Freeman said. Freeman first tried for her firefighter position in 1992 but didn’t make it so she tried again a year later and made it. “It took me two tries but it was all well worth it,” Freeman said.

She shared a story about one of her sons, Jahmel, who is now 31. He was 8-years-old and attending Byrns Darden Elementary. He would tell the other kids at school that his mom was a firefighter and they didn’t believe him. She said she finally went to the school in her uniform so they would know that Jahmel was telling the truth.

Freeman is a Clarksville native and a graduate of Northwest High School. She said she is a widow with three kids and six grandkids. She owns a Can-Am Spyder and loves to ride and has taken part in the Bikers Who Care Toy Run for many years and plans to head to Washington D.C. for the Rolling Thunder Run in May.

Freeman added that she is really looking forward to doing a lot of traveling. “I didn’t ever think this day would come but it’s here,” Freeman said. She actually has vacation time built up and her official retirement date with the city is not until March 30.