Brentwood Fire Chief Kenny Lane presents a plaque to his longtime administrative assistant Joy Vaughn at her retirement party.

Editor’s note: Joy Vaughn worked as administrative assistant for the Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department from its earliest days until she retired just a few years ago. She and her late husband, local Boy Scout legend Billy Jim Vaughn, counted retiring Fire Chief Kenny Lane and the rest of the department as family. Today she tells the story of the chief’s rise through the ranks as no one else can.

By JOY VAUGNN
Special to Brentwood Home Page
Dean Filer, the founding chief of the Brentwood Fire Department hired five original fire captains.  When the time came to swear them in, only two of the original five remained – one was Kenny Lane. The “dog house” probably discouraged the others.

When I became the administrative assistant in 1988, Captain Lane was in charge of fire safety inspections and his own shift of firefighters.  He was a by-the-book man.  In fact, some said he was a nitpicky fire captain.  Some even said they didn’t like him much.

The Christmas Eve tornado of 1988 was an eye opener for me and the first time I had a glimpse of just how important firefighters are to the rest of us; they still talk about that disaster.

Chief Filer left in 1989 to care for his ailing wife.  City Manager Frank Clifton appointed Captain Lane as the interim fire chief.

The first annual BFD Chili Cookoff was in 1989. Captain Lane and his wife, Marilyn, cooked up some great chili but lost out to three firefighters whose chili was hotter and whose lobbying efforts were superior. Marilyn won second place in 1990 and first place several times in the remaining five years of the event. She considered not competing because folks wondered if the judges were bribed.

David Clark was hired to replace Chief Filer.  Chief Clark gained approval for a new position – Fire Marshal – and promoted Captain Lane to that position.  Tongues wagged, saying that Captain (now Fire Marshal) Lane must be buttering up the powers that be in order to promote himself.  He still had that by-the-book mentality and applied it diligently in handing out fire safety inspection assignments to the troops.  He pursued public education with a vengeance, determined to make the public more aware of fire safety.

Meanwhile, Chief Clark convinced City officials to let firefighters change to a 24/48 shift in 1991, a change most firefighters celebrated. But Chief Clark traded the ladder truck for two telebooms – a HUGE disappointment to the ranks of the department.  Fire Marshal Lane scored mega points with the ball that plunged Chief Clark into the dunking booth pond at the third chili cookoff. (Don’t sell our ladder truck!)

Fire safety is no joking matter.  Chief Kenny Lane has always been serious about fire safety, leading the way for a similar mentality throughout the department.  Because of the chief and the entire Brentwood fire staff, I have tremendous admiration and respect for the firefighting profession as a whole but especially for these men and women that I consider my personal family of firefighters.  There is nothing I would not do for them. 

Now that Chief Lane is retiring, I feel almost as if I’m losing my father, except that I’m older.  Brian Goss, I’m sure, is every bit as capable and will be a good leader; I wish him well.

Have I mentioned the times when the fire department personnel, Chief Lane and Chief Goss included, have come to my personal rescue?

When my mother had a serious stroke only a week before she passed away, Chief Lane was one of the first to arrive at our house to see if he could help.  When my husband had surgery and I was worried about him, fire department personnel dropped by to check him out and reassure me.  When he fell and broke his hip, Brentwood fire personnel arrived before Metro, which is our service area.  When (Billy Jim) returned home from rehab, Brentwood Fire Department personnel came on their day off to build a ramp so that I could roll him in and out of the house in his wheelchair. 

Many times Brentwood fire personnel, including Chief Lane, came to lift BJ off of the floor and back to his chair or bed when we couldn’t quite make it and he slipped to the floor.  I cannot begin to say what a comfort it was to know they would be there when I needed them.

Then, when BJ passed away in 2009, an honor guard from Brentwood Fire and Rescue watched over his coffin during visitation.  I still get teary eyes when I think of it.  I am blessed to have these dedicated men and women as part of my “family” and my life.

By the way, Chief is not much worse for the wear.  He put on some pounds and lost what hair he had.  He’s still a by-the-book guy and I appreciate that more than words can say.  He’s the best!