Daniel Chandler is a man who absolutely loves his job. At 36 years old Daniel has been a firefighter for 13 years with his volunteer career staring like many others, a suggestion from a friend at work to stop by the station and “take a look”. That first stop at the Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department is all it took; he has been there ever since which helped set the foundation for his current position with the Greeneville Fire Department as a Firefighter / EMT.
Daniel has been a Training Officer, a Lieutenant and a Captain with Newmansville and has been with the city for 9 years. He also served with the Greeneville Emergency and Rescue Squad for 1-1/2 years and is now a Vehicle Extrication Instructor with the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squad’s (TARS) Rescue College.
Some people want their free time to resemble anything but their nine to five jobs however emergency responders often continue their service by volunteering, and Daniel is no different. Continuing to volunteer is a way he can give back to the department that started his fire career and to provide his training experience he receives from the full-time position to those in the county who wish to continue their education. As he pointed out, “it’s not about the me, it’s about the we” which is why he continues to expand in training by becoming a Vehicle Extrication Instructor with the TARS Rescue College about a year ago.
Daniel points out the hard work of training pays off and “training will never fail you, regardless how long it’s been”. He learned and continues to teach, “you have to have a backup plans” for every situation you go into. These are the same lessons he passes along to local students and those he meets across the southeast teaching with the TARS Rescue College.
What makes him most proud are incidents such as the Profile fire earlier this year, how everyone came together in the taskforce. It’s how people are willing to sacrifice their time, even when so far away, to come help a department or a community in need that provide fond memories as he continues his career in the fire service.