Gaining an edge: Townsend Volunteer Fire Department expands fitness goals

Over 1 million people visit our national park each year, with many of them leaving their footprints in Townsend.

For Townsend Volunteer Fire Department, there’s lots of ground to cover. Its coverage area runs from Hatchers Cut to Wesley Woods, Wears Valley Road to the Sevier County Line; in the national park it provides protection for structure fires to the Sinks and Cades Cove. Add to that swift-water rope rescues and medical calls when needed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and the scope of these volunteers’ territory is massive.

TVFD Chief Don Stallions has 35 volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 94. On the wall at the Townsend High School auditorium are several photos of memorable calls his men and women have responded to over the years.

There’s the Kinzel House Restaurant that burned to the ground in 2008, the event center at Tremont Lodge and Resort in 2019 and Townsend Shopping Center in 2022. And of course the Gatlinburg wildfires that ravaged the downtown area of that tourist town in 2016. TVFD was there on the scene for it all.

This volunteer organization took over the auditorium at the former high school after the city of Townsend built a new Townsend City Hall. It broke ground in late 2018. This gives the organization three fire stations.

The last time this school building was home to high school students was 1976. Heritage High School now serves the Townsend area students.

Stallions said once the city of Townsend vacated the premises, some renovations were done. Today, that continues, including the addition of a well-equipped fitness center. There were pieces of equipment stored at Station No. 3, Stallions said, but now, a usable space means more training space is available.

“Firefighting is very physical,” he said. His volunteers wear heavy gear and can be at a fire scene or rescue for hours. Having this fitness equipment for them to use is invaluable, he said.

This volunteer squad can thank Penny McIntosh for providing a lot of the free weights and other training devices. This Duke-trained health coach, certified through the American College of Sports Medicine, moved away from Townsend a few years ago, opting to enroll her children in Maryville City Schools. Now that they have graduated, McIntosh and her husband are back in Townsend; she said he will be joining TVFD. They had equipment they used at other gyms and wanted it to be put to good use.

“This is like a complete gym,” McIntosh said as she looked around. “They just need a few more pieces.” She said yoga classes might be added at another location.

She added that there are no public fitness centers in Townsend. One of her goals is to help remedy that with a community center down the road. McIntosh is working one-on-one with the volunteer firefighters as their personal coach and also with group fitness.

Chris Scarbrough is captain of the TVFD and said he will definitely make use of the fitness center. He’s been with this band of volunteers for more than 15 years. He is taking the training necessary to be part of the swift-water rescue team inside the national park. The fitness center will help everybody who uses it to build strength and stamina, he said.

“This can be intimidating,” Stallions said of all the equipment. Having McIntosh here to provide some guidance and encouragement is certainly appreciated, he said.

As Stallion explained, there is no fitness test required in order to be a volunteer fireman. However, they do undergo initial training and add to that as volunteers strive to become first responders and EMTs.

“First responders have 64 hours of classes,” the chief said. “We pay for that. For an EMT, that is a full semester at Roane State Community College. They pay for that.”

Some advance to becoming paramedics, Stallions explained. He said many of the volunteers are in fire or medical service as careers in places like Alcoa Fire Department and ambulance companies.

Controlled burns, rescuing tubers in Little River, medical calls, accidents and structure and wildfires — TVFD gets called out to assist day or night. Stallions said his volunteers receive in-house training once per quarter.

The fire department has come a long way since its founding in 1979, Stallions said. The first fundraiser for the unit raised $50. He said members had to pass the hat on several occasions in order to fuel the trucks.

Today, TVFD contracts with the City of Townsend to provide services inside the city limits and charges $75 annual membership for those outside. Working at festivals brings in needed funds, along with grants.

Current needs include the replacement of two tankers. The ones in use are at least 30 years old.

But Stallions said this department would not be where it is today without the determined founders and community support.