Fire Administration/Command Staff

Chief Larry Farley is the first Fire Chief for the Rutherford County Fire Rescue Department which was established on July 1, 2010. Chief Farley’s career in the fire service began in 1989 as a volunteer firefighter in Rutherford County, serving 19 years. He was appointed by Mayor Ernest Burgess as the Fire Coordinator for Rutherford County on April 1, 2008. On July 1, 2010, Chief Farley was appointed Fire Chief of the Rutherford County Fire-Rescue Department.

As the first County Fire Chief, he was charged with building an organization from the ground up.  This included establishing cohesive and standardized training, developing new safety programs, providing effective fire suppression response, increasing efficiency, procuring new apparatus and equipment, and providing vehicle rescue throughout Rutherford County. Chief Farley has led the department from its beginnings as an all-volunteer department to a full-time fire and rescue service.  In 2019, the Rutherford County EMS Special Operations Team was merged with RCFR, aiding in Chief Farley’s goal of creating an all-hazards fire department.

Beginning with a single station in 2010, Chief Farley has added 5 more stations with 97 full-time firefighters. 3 additional Fire/EMS stations are currently in various phases of planning and construction across Rutherford County. These stations will be located in the Walter Hill, Christiana, and the old Almaville Road area communities. 

Chief Farley has 33 years in the fire service, with 20 years of leadership and management experience, has obtained the highest Fire Officer certification in the state of Tennessee, as Fire Officer IV. Chief Farley is a member of several associations such as Rutherford County Fire Chief’s Association, Tennessee Fireman Association, Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Tennessee Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators, Tennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association, and past President of Middle TN Fire Chief's Association.  In 2023, Chief Farley was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve on the Homeland Security Council as a representative of the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association.

The Rutherford County Fire Marshal's Office is led by Fire Marshal Joshua Sanders.  Sanders is a 22-year veteran of public safety who started his career with Rutherford County in 2016 and worked his way through the ranks to his current position as the County's first Fire Marshal.  Sanders has served in a wide variety of roles in Public Safety throughout his career including law enforcement, EMS, Telecommunications, and Emergency Management.  He holds a Master's degree from Columbia Southern University in Emergency Services Management, is certified by the State of Tennessee as a Fire Officer IV, holds national, international, and state certifications as a Fire & Explosion Investigator (NAFI-CFEI, IAAI-CFI, State of Tennessee, and ProBoard), is a State of Tennessee & ICC Certified Fire Inspector, and a licensed Paramedic.  Fire Marshal Sanders is also assigned as a Federal Task Force Officer to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Fire Marshal Sanders is a member of the Tennessee Fire Chief's Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Arson Investigators, National Association of Arson Investigators, Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Tennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association, International Code Council, International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, serves as an adjunct instructor for the Tennessee Fire & Codes Enforcement Academy's Fire Investigator Training Program, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson and the Tennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association.