Chattanooga residents will decide the fate of City Ordinance 14168, a proposed amendment to the city’s residency requirements for essential workers, in the upcoming March elections. The ordinance would allow first responders, including firefighters and police officers, to live outside Tennessee while still working for the city.
The proposed referendum, brought to the ballot by the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) and other city officials, aims to address challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified first responders, a problem exacerbated by current residency rules.
Captain Damien Vinson, the CFD’s Community Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator, emphasizes that the existing rule is hindering efforts to fill crucial positions.
“Currently, a police officer or firefighter can legally commute over five hours from Memphis, Nashville, or Knoxville but cannot commute five minutes from Rossville, Georgia, or nearby Alabama cities,” Vinson explained. “This arbitrary restriction limits our ability to attract and retain qualified first responders, directly impacting public safety.”
Staffing concerns are especially pressing, with an estimated 150 of Chattanooga’s 437 firefighters eligible to retire within the next five years. The CFD is advocating for an expanded applicant pool to address these looming shortages.
The proposed change would allow individuals living within Chattanooga’s Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes parts of Georgia and Alabama, to serve in the city’s emergency services. These candidates would still need to meet the same rigorous hiring standards as their Tennessee-based counterparts.
“We’re not compromising on quality,” Vinson assured. “Every recruit will pass the same tests, meet the same attendance requirements, and maintain the same high standards of service. By removing this geographic restriction, we can bolster staffing levels, reduce training costs, and ensure consistent public safety services for Chattanooga residents.”
Captain Vinson pointed out that many individuals living just outside Tennessee already contribute to Chattanooga’s economy and community. Yet, they remain ineligible to serve as first responders due to where they reside.
“Tens of thousands of individuals living in our surrounding areas work in Chattanooga, spend money in the city, and contribute to our community every day,” he said. “These individuals, part of our legally defined Metropolitan Statistical Area, often consider themselves Chattanoogans. However, they are currently prohibited from serving as first responders simply because of where they sleep at night.”
Captain Vinson reiterated that the department’s goal is still to prioritize local recruitment, but believes removing outdated barriers will help attract top-tier talent from neighboring areas.
“Your vote in favor of this referendum will allow us to recruit the best-qualified candidates for these critical roles, ensure public safety and build a stronger Chattanooga Fire and Police Department,” he said. “Help us make this necessary change to protect and serve our growing community. However, to be clear, the objective will always be to recruit locally.”
Early voting for Chattanooga residents begins on Feb. 12 and continues through Feb. 27. Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4.