SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Dale H. Burress has been named interim fire chief of the Shelby County Fire Department. He was appointed by Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., after the recent retirement of Shelby County Fire Chief Clarence Cash Jr., who served as fire chief September 2004 – January 2014.
Burress has worked at the Shelby County Fire Department since August 1985. He served as deputy chief from May 2012 until his appointment of interim fire chief. For 29 years Chief Burress has served in every fire suppression role in the fire department. He has earned a number of significant certifications and was a founding member of the Special Operations Rescue Team. He has also been serving in various roles on Tennessee Task Force One since 2002. He serves in various organizations, including the National Association of Fire Investigators, Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association and the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson.
He is a life-long native of west Tennessee and is married to the former Shonda Herrington of Houston, Texas. He has three children and three grandchildren.
Shelby County Fire Department’s new interim deputy chief is Glen F. Kneeland. Kneeland was formerly the administrative battalion chief for the department and has served Shelby County since July 1988. He is a four-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he was a Fire Protection Specialist – a role that he carried into further service in the Tennessee Air National Guard. He is a veteran of the 1991 Operation Desert Storm. A Lieutenant since 1997, Kneeland was also a founding member of the Special Operations Rescue Team at Shelby County Fire. He was promoted to administrative battalion chief in 2007. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell Jr. then appointed him to the 9-1-1 Communications Commission as a board member.
Chief Kneeland graduated from Germantown High School and attended Southwest Tennessee Community College, studying fire science. He received his Emergency Medical Technician Licensure, Hazardous Materials Technician, Fire Officer and Fire Instructor Certification through the state of Tennessee. He also has several Technical Rescue Certifications through Tennessee Task Force One.
Deputy Chief Kneeland is married and resides in Germantown. He has three daughters; two are attending Middle Tennessee State University and one is a sophomore at Germantown High School.
“These are very qualified commanders and will serve the department well,” added Mayor Luttrell.
