Franklin, TN – After 33 years in the fire service, including 27 with the Franklin Fire Department, Battalion Chief Joseph R. Polenzani will retire next week. A celebration in his honor will take place on Thursday, December 18^th at 2 PM at Franklin Fire Station 2, located at 907 Murfreesboro Road.

Polenzani, a Knollwood, Illinois native, comes from a family tradition of firefighting. His father and brother were volunteer firefighters in the Chicago suburbs, and his sister, Maria, has served with the Lexington, Kentucky Fire Department since 1999 and is currently an assistant chief. Some of his earliest memories include spending time at his father’s fire station and occasionally accompanying him on calls. 

Polenzani began his own fire service career in 1992 as a volunteer firefighter with the Ashland City Fire Department, where he served for ten years, until he got married and moved to Williamson County. He joined the Franklin Fire Department in 1998 and went on to build a legacy marked by leadership, service, education, and professionalism.

He rose steadily through the ranks in Franklin, being promoted from firefighter to lieutenant in 2003 and to captain in 2005. He served as the Administrative Services Officer from 2006 to 2011 and was promoted to battalion chief in 2014, serving on both A-Shift and C-Shift. He is a co-founder of FFD’s Company Officer Academy and has been actively involved in the department’s Awards Committee and the City of Franklin’s Mentorship Program. 

Some of his most memorable calls include two local natural disasters he responded to: the 1994 ice storm, when he was a young firefighter in Ashland City, and the 2010 Franklin floods. “The first 24 hours of each were unprecedented experiences,” said Polenzani, “but both departments stepped up and met the demands of the moment to serve their citizens.” Other memorable incidents include the 2010 Westhaven house fire and explosion that injured a firefighter who had to be rescued, the 2020 rescue of two girls trapped on a railroad bridge near Pinkerton Park, and the 2021 Red Pony restaurant fire in downtown Franklin. “I was first on scene at the Red Pony fire on Main Street. This was a complex incident that required quick, decisive action by our officers and firefighters. They quickly knocked down the bulk of a very large fire and prevented it from spreading throughout the structure.”

Throughout his career, Polenzani has received numerous awards and commendations, including six Phoenix Awards for lifesaving efforts, a Meritorious Service Award in 2018 for helping save the life of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, and two Deployment Awards for responses to severe flooding in Hickman and Humphreys Counties in 2021 and to Unicoi County after Hurricane Helene in 2024. In 2023, as a member of the Williamson County Rescue Squad, he received a Star of Life Award from the Children’s Emergency Care Alliance of Tennessee for his role in saving the life of a five-year-old boy who had been electrocuted in a swimming pool. 

Polenzani holds a master’s degree in public safety leadership and administration from Arizona State University. He is a Certified Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor II, Advanced EMT, and a Chief Fire Officer designee through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. He is also a graduate of the Public Safety Leadership Development Program at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. A national speaker and instructor, he has presented at regional and national conferences in multiple states, including the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International, the largest firefighter training conference and fire industry expo in North America, held annually in Indianapolis. He has published articles in Fire Engineering magazine and on FireEngineering.com, is an instructor for FireEngineeringTraining.com, and serves as treasurer of the Middle Tennessee F.O.O.L.S., a nonprofit providing free or low-cost training to firefighters throughout Tennessee. He has also served for several years as a volunteer firefighter and engineer with the Williamson County Rescue Squad.

Polenzani credits Assistant Chief Todd Horton (ret.) as one of his most influential mentors. “He was one of my favorite supervisors, both in the field and while working in Fire Administration. He always encouraged me to think and act independently but also held me accountable for my work and results.”

Fire Chief Glenn Johnson said, “It is difficult to fully convey the level of influence and outstanding contributions that Battalion Chief Joe Polenzani has made to the Franklin Fire Department. Throughout his 27 years of service, he has been dedicated, professional, and deeply caring, someone you can always count on. His steady leadership, trustworthy nature, and commitment to continuous improvement have made our department stronger and better. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership, his friendship, and the countless ways he has contributed to this department and community. We wish him all the best as he begins this next chapter, traveling, teaching, and continuing to make a difference in the fire service.”

Upon retirement, Polenzani plans to remain active with the State’s Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team, with whom he has already deployed to disasters including the Waverly floods and Hurricane Helene. He also plans to continue teaching at national training conferences in 2026 and hopes to spend more time playing music, especially with the Nashville Fire Pipes and Drums. He resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife, Carolyn Kalil, and daughter, Katie Polenzani. 

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