Tim Baker

I started in the fire service in 1986, following in my father's footsteps. He was one of the founding members of the Walden's Creek Volunteer Fire Department when it was started in 1977. After a few months, I became treasurer and worked my way up through the ranks to become chief. In the process of moving up the ladder, I also served six years as a volunteer at the Sevier County Rescue Squad. I have also served in many roles, such as extrication instructor, farm rescue, driving instructor. In 1994, I became chief of the department and with the help of many dedicated people really started to make this department a organization to be proud of. With the community's support and the members' hard work, we have grown to be one of the most respected departments in our area. In the time before and since becoming chief, I have dedicated countless hours to the fire service in our county. I have served 2 terms as president of the Sevier County Fire Chief's Association and 10 years as treasurer. When I became chief, our fire department was running around 100 calls per year. This year, that number is projected to be around 800 calls. In keeping up with the growth of our community, we have implemented an emergency medical response program, technical rescue, vehicle rescue, and we have personnel trained in water rescue. Living in the mountains, it is a necessity that we are trained as wildland firefighters, as well as in high-angle rescue, in order to keep our community and our visitors safe.

Faith, family, and community are always dear to my heart, and they guide me in all that I do and will continue to do in the future.