Written for FireRescue1
The Logistics Division plays a vital role for the Nashville (Tennessee) Fire Department, especially since this department is among the country’s busiest fire departments.
Logistics Commander Brian Butler, a 29-year Nashville Fire Department veteran, knows about the many complexities of properly equipping what is not only one of the busiest departments in the nation, but one of the fastest-growing. The ever-popular Music City not only draws more than 16 million visitors a year, but Metro Nashville-Davidson County is home to nearly 700,000 residents in a 475-square-mile area. This Nashville Fire Department is made up of 40 fire stations, which support four heavy rescues, 13 ladder companies, 33 ambulances, 40 engine companies and more than 1,500 personnel. Additionally, one of the department’s stations, Nashville Station No. 9, was named America’s busiest fire station in 2022 by “Firehouse” Magazine. The personnel assigned to this station, affectionally called “The Bottoms,” responded to more than 49,000 calls in 2023.
Butler is an advocate for properly equipping crews with ample scene lighting.
“The Nashville Fire Department is an all-hazards department, so being prepared for any call and situation is important. We can only do it with the best tools,” Butler said. “Visibility is everything for us in low-light conditions, and having proper scene lighting helps our crews do their jobs and leave without injury.”
The attention to safety and lighting is why Nashville decided to evaluate Command Light’s battery-powered Trident Tripod and EOS-Rapid Deploy Lights, introduced to the market in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Butler says these lights are “critical to our response” because departments can choose from four leading nonproprietary battery platforms, as well as a long list of high-lumen LEDs, a firefighter favorite.
In 2023 Nashville approached NAFECO, one of the nation’s leading fire equipment dealers, and requested the department evaluate the Command Light tripod, specced with Helios FireTech LEDs and powered by DeWalt FLEXVOLT batteries.
“We received lots of positive feedback from our personnel in the field,” Butler explained. The evaluation quickly resulted in a bulk purchase of 50 tripods, and in 2023, when Command Light released the smaller-footprint EOS, Nashville requested a four-month evaluation of the Command Light’s newest light. That, too, quickly turned into a bulk order. In July 2024, Nashville made its second bulk purchase of battery lights — 45 Command Light EOS units with Whelen Pioneer PCH1 spot-flood LEDs, also powered by DeWalt.
NAFECO Vice President Ronald Woodall says his team, which has partnered with Command Light and sister brand Super Vac for more than 40 years, was proud to be involved in the evaluation process. “NAFECO appreciates the relationship with Nashville Fire Department. We’re proud to provide quality products and service to these men and women,” he said.
PUT TO GOOD USE
Managing logistics for such a large fire department has long required smart, universal purchases, which is why Nashville was drawn to the Command Light product. The department was able to choose from four easy-to-source, nonproprietary battery platforms — DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and HURST. In the end, Nashville landed on the DeWalt platform. “We operate with other DeWalt rescue tools, so we are able to use the same battery across the board,” Butler said. “And for us, we trust DeWalt. Their warranty is great, and they have a good reputation.”
Since the bulk purchases, Butler said the lights have been put to good use.
“Our jobs put us in positions where we don’t have a whole lot of mobility, so we were able to quickly use these small lights,” he said. “We have already used both lights for so many different applications. Not only did we put them to work on basic fire scenes, but we’ve used them during extrications and confined-space rescues. In fact, the adjustable leg on the tripod has allowed us to position the light for different environments, like stairs and hillside slopes.”
But it’s the ample light that has won Butler over.
“We love the lumens. Both the EOS and tripod provide more light than any other small lighting product on the market,” he added. With a long list of LED choices that includes Akron, FireTech, FRC and Whelen, these lights can deliver anywhere from 14,000 to 20,500 lumens. “We haven’t even pushed the tripod to its fullest capabilities yet. Command Light offers a Federal Signal message bar for its tripod, and we want to purchase some of these message bars to add even more versatility, especially on roadway scenes.”
The Command Light brand has been an industry-lighting staple, building its patented all-electric light tower for more than two decades. Butler points to that dependability and says the department’s latest purchase is definitely built to last.
“If you want a product tested to the extremes, send it to Nashville,” Butler laughed. “We have definitely put these lights to work, and in just a short time, it’s been a game changer for our crews. In fact, we never had anything like these lights until now.”
For more information, visit Command Light.
