Franklin, TN – After 32 years of firefighting, including nearly 28 with the Franklin Fire Department, Lieutenant Charlene Forehand has retired. Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to celebrate her career on Thursday, April 16, at 2:30 PM at Fire Station 8, located at 200 Front Street in Westhaven. View the event flyer HERE.

Hired in 1998, Lt. Forehand has been a trailblazer throughout her tenure. As the second female firefighter hired by the Franklin Fire Department, she reached another historic milestone in 2007 when she was promoted to lieutenant, becoming the department’s first female supervisor. 

Reflecting on her career, Forehand acknowledged that forging a path in a male-dominated profession required resilience. While navigating those dynamics, she remained steadfastly focused on the mission. “It didn’t really bother me much,” she said. “I just wanted to help people.” She emphasized that building strong relationships and working seamlessly with her crews were always her top priorities."

A lifelong Williamson County resident, Forehand began her fire service career in 1994 as a volunteer firefighter with the Williamson County Rescue Squad. At the time, she was working in a factory in Franklin when a coworker encouraged her to get involved. She quickly discovered a passion for the work. “I liked going to the calls. I liked helping people and the camaraderie – feeling like I was making a difference,” she said. Many of the volunteers were career firefighters for Franklin, including Lt. Terry Hood (Ret.). and the late Battalion Chief Eddie House. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to make it her profession.

Throughout her career, Forehand was recognized for her role in multiple cardiac arrest saves, including a September 26, 2008 incident that she considers one of the most meaningful of her career. The patient, Susan Jones Martin, was the same age as Forehand, and both had young daughters, which made the call especially personal for her. In 2009, Martin and her daughter were reunited with Forehand and her crew to film a video with Saint Thomas Hospital highlighting the “Chain of survival.” Martin later visited Forehand on the 10-year anniversary of the incident – an experience Forehand described as especially impactful.

Another significant incident was a 2017 call involving a patient with a severe traumatic head injury who later made a remarkable recovery. The case was featured nationally in Reader’s Digest as one of “The Most Miraculous Medical Recoveries of 2017.” 

In addition to medical responses, Forehand responded to several memorable fires throughout her career. In 2000, she fought what was considered the city’s first “high-rise” fire at a six-story office building on Corporate Center Drive. Forehand said they could see smoke when they pulled out of Station 3 in Cool Springs. They used a tower truck as an elevated standpipe and contained the fire to the room of origin –  a storage room accessed from the roof. In 2006, she responded to a barn fire on Daniel McMahon Lane that claimed the lives of two horses. During that incident, she and the late EMS Officer David Cline rescued three horses from the structure before it was destroyed. Forehand also recalled fighting a Fourth of July house fire in 2020, caused by fireworks. A neighbor, alerted by his dog, warned the family inside the home of the danger. The occupants escaped safely before firefighters arrived.

Forehand recalled the events that led to the creation of Fire Station 7. Following a fatal tanker crash and fire on I-65 in 2014 that destroyed the Goose Creek Bypass/Peytonsville Road bridge, the department established a temporary station at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center to maintain response coverage. She helped set up and operate the temporary station, which initially functioned out of the facility’s green room before transitioning to a mobile home on the grounds until permanent Station 7 opened in 2021. 

Forehand was among those who helped open Fire Station 8 in Westhaven in 2016, where she has served since its establishment. She noted the strong support from the community over the years. “The Westhaven community did a great job of welcoming us,” she said. “They have continued to be very kind and very supportive.”

Throughout her career, Forehand contributed to numerous departmental initiatives. She served for many years on interview panels, helping hire and shape the next generation of firefighters. She also played a key role in the implementation and quality control of the department’s records management system, improving the tracking of incident responses, training, inspections, and equipment. In addition, she served on the department’s Awards Committee, helping recognize the accomplishments of her peers.

"Charlene has been a huge part of this department for nearly 28 years," said Fire Chief Glenn Johnson. "She obviously broke barriers for us, but beyond that, she just showed up every day and set the standard. She has this quiet toughness and real compassion that earned the absolute respect of her crews and the community. She’s put so much time into shaping our newer firefighters, and she’s leaving a lasting mark on who we are. We’re really going to miss her steady presence around here, but her impact is going to stick around for a long time.” 

Forehand and her family live on her family’s farm in Leiper’s Fork, where they raise cattle. Through her involvement with the rescue squad (now called Williamson County Fire/Rescue or WCFR), she met her husband, Willie Covington, who was also a volunteer. The couple has two children, Kaitlyn and Drew. She continues to serve as an integral member of WCFR, where she has volunteered for the past 32 years in a variety of roles, including Training Officer and Station Captain. She currently serves as an engineer and assists with incident reporting, quality control, and volunteer program administration, while continuing to serve and help protect and care for the Leiper’s Fork area and unincorporated Williamson County.

Pictured (L to R): Lt. Keith McVoy, Engineer Mike Morgan (Ret.), cardiac arrest patient Susan Jones Martin and her daughter, and Lt. Charlene Forehand. 

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