Brockman
Amity Fire’s longtime chief is stepping down but plans to continue serving the department and community in a new role.
Jackie Brockman, who has been the chief of the Amity Volunteer Fire Department for 33 years, will begin working in an administrative role effective Jan. 1. At the same time, Assistant Chief Spenser Hunter will become the new fire chief, leading the department of roughly 35-40 volunteer firefighters.
For the last several months, Brockman had contemplated stepping down as fire chief. He’s been at Amity Fire since it first began, joining as a junior firefighter in 1973.
“I was 16 years old and my dad was one of the original members,” Brockman recalled. “I was like a junior firefighter for about two years until I turned 18 and actually joined.”
Brockman cited his age as part of the reason he’s stepping down as chief. At nearly 67 years old, it’s getting harder and harder for him to make runs and do what a fire chief needs to be doing — being at the scene and handling command operations, he said.
The physical ability needed for runs was a major factor.
“I realized that lately, there’s been some runs we’ve had that I just wasn’t up to par,” he said. “My physical ability is starting to get less and less the older I get, and I just thought, well it’s time for the younger generation to take over and maybe take a step back and do something else.”
So, he opted to take an administrative position. The biggest concern when Brockman told Hunter he wanted to step down and have him take over was the paperwork, Brockman said.
In his new role, Brockman will do state reports, handle insurance and deal with attorneys. This is stuff he’s already been doing for years, he said.
“I’m still involved with the fire department,” Brockman said. “I’ll still be making runs if necessary to help with the on-scene, command-type situations.”
Amity Fire is in Brockman’s blood, as he has been there for over 50 years, he said.
“It’s something I’m not gonna just walk away from,” he said. “That department is a part of me, and I will be there until my final day comes.”
Hunter, 34, will be the department’s second youngest chief when he takes over on Jan. 1. He’s worked at the department for the last eight or nine years, joining the fire service as a way to help the community. He became assistant chief four years ago.
Amity’s firefighters voted to make Hunter the department’s next chief, as did the department’s fire protection board. The idea had always been that Hunter would replace Brockman, but it did not become serious until two or three months ago, Hunter said.
“It was always the plan. It just happened quicker than what we expected,” he said.
He lives in the fire district, is married to Danielle, who works at Franklin Police and has a 15-year-old daughter.
Hunter also runs a plumbing business, First Response Plumbing and Excavation, with two friends. He also volunteers when he can, he said.
Hunter lives about 1.5 minutes away from the Amity fire station, meaning he can get there very quickly when he is called, he said.
One of his biggest goals as chief will be to continue the department’s community partnerships, along with making sure the department is running as it should be, getting trucks out the door, keeping up with training and helping the community.
“The community is No. 1, obviously, in what we do — protecting the community. Jackie has done a phenomenal job. It’s big shoes to fill.”
As Hunter moves up, another Amity firefighter will move up as well. John Grant, who also works for Edinburgh Fire and Rescue, will become the department’s assistant chief on Jan. 1.
Going into the new year, Amity Fire will also have a new ambulance on the streets. A majority of their runs are EMS calls, so having two ambulances ready to go for calls is a big improvement, Hunter said.
“Sometimes we have an EMS run and we have another one come in and we need that extra ambulance to be there, and we have to call Franklin or Bargersville or Edinburgh or Nineveh, whoever has that ambulance close by to provide for our community,” he said. “So that’s a big thing for us to have been able to have two ambulances stocked and ready to go at any time.”
One of Brockman’s major accomplishments as chief was the facility and equipment upgrades they’ve had over the years. When he took over as chief, their main pumper truck was from 1948, he said.
“If you look at that equipment we have now, compared to what we had when I took over chief, it’s unbelievable,” Brockman said. “The changes are so much so evident. It’s crazy.”
Another thing he’s proud of is the people who make up the department now. Nearly 100% of their staff is certified in fire or EMS training, he said.
This is something he’s pushed for hard over the years. They’re not just a bunch of volunteers off the road, Brockman said.
“These people are all trained. They’ve got their state certification the same as any department in the county,” he said.
Brockman is looking forward to Hunter taking the reins as chief. He has a lot of training and experience and is a good person to be in the position, he said.
As chief, Hunter says he is going to try to follow Brockman’s footsteps. Although this could be a challenge.
“What he’s done is kind of unheard of in a lot of people’s eyes,” Hunter said. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to do what Jackie’s done for that department, but I’m gonna give it a heck of a go.”
With Hunter as chief and Grant as assistant chief, Brockman is optimistic about Amity Fire’s future.
“We’ve got two young guys in there that I think will take this department out to the next level,” Brockman said. “You’re gonna see some progression, you’re gonna see a lot of new ideas, fresh ideas.”
