Meet Tony Knight, Chief, Evansville Fire Department
Hometown: St. Philip, Indiana
Age: 48
Family: Wife Kerri; children Chase, 24, and Shelby, 22, and stepchildren Kaedin, 21, Gavin, 17, Ava, 17, and Hudson, 11
Education: paramedic science certification, Ivy Tech Community College; Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Alabama (online)
EFD Chief Salary: $126,769
Firefighters are known for extinguishing fires, but how often do the flames come from within the firehouse? It was a tumultuous time at the Evansville Fire Department in January when Tony Knight stepped into the role as chief. Two abrupt leadership changes had created a vacuum, and now in the chiefโs seat, he has made it his goal to improve the culture.
Growing up in the Posey County village of St. Philip, Knightโs father gave him a first-hand look at being a first responder. A full-time emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter, Knightโs dad took him and his two siblings on runs in the summer.
โThat adrenaline begins to get you at a young age, making those emergency responses and watching whatโs happening from the windshield,โ Knight says. โYou start to get interested; it doesnโt take much.โ
By age 12, Knight had made up his mind about his future career.
At 18, he signed up as a volunteer for the Marrs Township Fire Department in Posey County, fighting fires with his father while attending EMT school.
After a 17-year stint in the medical field as an EMT and, later, a paramedic, Knight pursued his passion full-time at EFD, working his way up the ranks from captain and district chief to health and safety chief.
โKnowing that youโre possibly going to be able to make a differenceโ is a feeling Knight had grown accustomed to over the years. When the opportunity presented itself to apply for fire chief, he knew this was his chance to create positive change from within the department.
โI have three main principles that I am leading this department by: honor the mission, support our people, and change the culture,โ Knight says. โI want the people in the fire stations to know that they have just as much power as I do when it comes to developing the Evansville Fire Department.โ
What To Know About The Evansville Fire Department
Through his role as fire chief, Tony Knight is looking to bridge the gap between the administration and the โfront lineโ by formulating innovative solutions. โWe depend on them,โ Knight says. โDo I want them to find all the answers? No, but do I want them to be empowered enough to help find an answer? Absolutely.โ Knight aims to keep firefighters more informed and better protected. He has introduced a weekly email titled โFrom the Chiefโs Deskโ and posted the departmentโs budget for all firefighters to see.
