Jeremy Wade chosen as county fire marshal
Anderson County has hired Jeremy Wade as fire marshal, and he is now on the job with the assignment to aid and improve the county’s volunteer fire services.
“We are so excited to have found Jeremy,” County Mayor Terry Frank said last week.
“He has a lot of great experience and a long, successful history in this field,” she said.
“Our volunteer agencies serve selflessly and provide a tremendous service to the citizens of Anderson County, and we are hopeful this position can provide them with some support.”
Hiring a full-time county fire marshal was one of the recommendations of the final Fire Protection Study from MissionCIT in February 2025.
During the study, MissionCIT examined all aspects of the current system and services provided by the five volunteer fire departments and the one volunteer rescue squad serving the unincorporated areas of Anderson County.
The position of fire marshal was endorsed by the Fire Commission, which includes representatives of each volunteer agency.
It was approved and funded by the County Commission to support the volunteer agencies in the areas of fire prevention and control.
Frank said she is thankful for the commission’s support of the fire protection study, and she looks forward to seeing more of the study’s recommendations implemented to support both the volunteer agencies and the citizens they serve.
Wade’s fire service experience started in 1999 in Maryland as a volunteer firefighter, where he began working his way up to be battalion chief.
After 21 years, he moved to Knox County, where he spent the past two years working for the Tennessee Fire Marshal’s Office as a primary fire inspector.
Wade said his primary goal is to help ensure that Anderson County is a wonderful place to live and visit by reducing the number of fires and emergencies and growing the resources and available personnel to respond.
“During my time as an active firefighter, I had the opportunity to get some training on building inspections and codes,” he said.
“And it was kind of a good segue into learning what can be done on the front end to help reduce the risk to a community and limit the need for the fire department to respond to emergencies,” Wade said.
“That will help provide for a better quality of life for residents and visitors to their communities.”
Jeremy Wade
