[343] First female Fire Officer IV talks about firefighting on ‘MTSU On the Record’

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU alumna who made Tennessee history recently will be the guest on the next “MTSU On the Record” program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Kaye Jernigan, assistant chief of the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department, will air from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, and from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 25, on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org.

Jernigan became the first woman in Tennessee history to receive the Fire Officer IV certification March 2 at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy in Bell Buckle. She said her MTSU education gave her a boost in her preparation to rise through the ranks.

“My writing skills are not the greatest, and MTSU helped with that, just knowing how to study, getting your work done on time and being prepared,” Jernigan said.

The Murfreesboro native became the city’s first female fire captain in 1996 and its first female assistant fire chief in 2011. She holds an associate degree in fire science from Volunteer State Community College and a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a minor in public administration from MTSU.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to http://bit.ly/mtsu-otr.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.