Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks can't recall another time, during his 26 years with Knoxville Fire Department, when their crews responded to emergencies in two different high-rise residential buildings within just a few weeks of each other.

That’s what's happened recently with small fires and the aftermath in Northgate Terrace and Summit Towers, both high-rise apartment buildings for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, after incidents in late November and mid January.

Each incident began with small fires in individual apartments. Both fires were extinguished by the buildings' sprinkler systems. 

“The job of sprinkler systems in residential buildings like these is to save people’s lives,” says Wilbanks. “To put out the fire or keep it contained until KFD can get on site and determine the next steps.”

Both situations emphasized KFD’s role in community safety; they're not done when the fire is extinguished. 

The next step for firefighters and the fire marshal is to decide if the building is structurally safe and fit for occupation. Is there smoke or water damage? 

Firefighters use shop vacs to remove standing water from apartments and hallways. They squeegee water away from apartments, down hallways and into stairwells. 

“At the end of the day, we try to leave it as safe as possible," Wilbanks says. They make sure residents, if they can't stay in the home, have a place to go and a way to get there. They make sure the power is off and the property is secure.

In the case of the Summit Towers fire, the water from the sprinkler system damaged the elevator’s electrical system, and officials decided that the building wasn’t fit for occupation. 

That's the point when community partnerships kick in. 

Red Cross responded to provide overnight accommodations for the approximately 40 residents who hadn’t found a place to stay with family or friends. 

The City was able to offer space in the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park. 

Knoxville Police Department's Animal Control unit arrived to transport pets -- which weren't allowed to stay alone at the apartment building or go with residents to the Jacob Building -- to Young Williams Animal Center, where they received temporary shelter and care. 

Knoxville Area Transit also arrived on the scene to transport residents to and from the Jacob Building. 

Wilbanks also commends the Knoxville Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) for its role in coordinating communications and resources from the state and federal level. 

“They are the agency with the 30,000-foot view,” he says. KEMA is a key coordinator for large-scale, community-wide situations like weather events and flooding. 

Wilbanks encourages residents to remember that Knoxville firefighters respond to all hazards, not only fires.

They are frequently first on the scene, and sometimes last, with squeegees in hand.

They may also return to help residents move back in, as Chief Stan Sharp did at Northgate Terrace in November and KPD Chaplain Paul Trumpore and Fire Marshal / Assistant Chief Sonny Partin did at Summit Tower earlier in January.