County Hires Chris Clark as New Public Safety Director

Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron announced Tuesday that La Vergne Fire Rescue Chief Chris Clark has accepted the position of Public Safety Director for Rutherford County.

“We are very excited to have Chris on board, especially to lead in the efforts to coordinate our response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Ketron.

In his new role, Clark will serve as the Director of Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency (RCEMA). He will also provide support to Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services (RCEMS) and Rutherford County Fire & Rescue (RCFR) when needed and will be the lead for County emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Clark has a combined 28 years of public safety experience, 22 of which he served as a Paramedic Supervisor with RCEMS’s Special Operations Team. He left that role to pursue an administrative position at La Vergne Fire Rescue, where he ultimately became Fire Chief.

Chris has a long list of certifications and many professional affiliations. He is a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s District 5 Response Committee and the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association’s Mutual Aid Typing Committee. Clark is also the current President of the Middle Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association.

“I’m very honored for this opportunity to serve Rutherford County as the Public Safety Director,” said Clark. “The County is where I built my career in this field. I even served as a volunteer firefighter and Deputy Fire Chief here. I look forward to working alongside our other public safety leaders to advance our County’s preparedness and response efforts.”

Clark’s first day on the job was March 31, 2020. His first duty was to activate the County’s Emergency Operations Center in response to the current COVID-19 event.