Oak Ridge Fire Department announces promotions, new firefighters

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The Oak Ridge Fire Department recently held a ceremony to promote three officers and to introduce four new firefighters and their families to the organization. Congratulations to these recently promoted officers and new firefighters.

Jody Durham was promoted from battalion chief to assistant chief of operations. He has been with Oak Ridge Fire Department for more than 10 years. Durham has experience as a U.S. Department of Energy firefighter and as a paramedic with Morgan County Ambulance Service.

Eric Rackard was promoted from captain to battalion chief and is assigned as the A-Shift commander. He has been with Oak Ridge Fire Department for eight years, and he has served as a firefighter/engineer and paramedic.

Rackard is an Air Force veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Jordan Alcorn was promoted from firefighter/engineer to fire captain and is assigned to Station 2, B-Shift. He has been with Oak Ridge Fire Department for eight years and has completed his Fire Officer I and II certifications.

Alcorn is a paramedic and serves with the Oliver Springs Fire Department as a captain.

The following firefighters participated in a badge pinning ceremony where their families formally honored them as new employees of ORFD:

Greg Fisher, an Oak Ridge native, is a member of the Oliver Springs Fire Department and a volunteer at the Marlow Fire Department.

Fisher joins ORFD as a certified firefighter and will receive National Registry—Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certification later this month.

Gage Whitman, an Oak Ridge native, is a paramedic with the Anderson County ambulance service.

Whitman recently completed his recruit fire academy graduation at the top of his class and was selected by the instructors for the Tom Christenberry award for his dedication to the service.

Josh Kerley joined ORFD from Rural/Metro Fire Department and ambulance service.

He is a certified firefighter and advanced EMT.

Kerley comes from a firefighting family as his father served as a captain with the Knoxville Fire Department.

James Jordain is a firefighter/engineer from North Carolina. Jordain served as a civilian firefighter and fire inspector for the U.S Air Force in Afghanistan, where he received numerous awards for his dedication to fire safety of the Air Bases in Afghanistan.

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