| Sources |
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 18 May 1999.
Fred Lethco Lafollette obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 4 Aug 2005.
New Gatlinburg fire chief takes over
By: JEFF FARRELL
Staff Writer August 04, 2005
GATLINBURG - Greg Patterson is leaving his position as administrator of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department to take over as chief of the Gatlinburg department.
Patterson takes the reins in Gatlinburg today.
"This is an opportunity I felt really good about, and I feel honored the city of Gatlinburg chose me," Patterson said.
Patterson said he would work with other city officials and community members to make Gatlinburg as safe as possible for residents, property owners and visitors.
"I feel my employees will be my No. 1 asset," he added. "I feel the Gatlinburg Fire Department is one of the best in the state."
He will work with outgoing chief Gary West until Aug. 15, when West will leave to take a consulting job with the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS).
"I think we both wanted that to make the transition smoother," Patterson said.
Patterson is also a county commissioner, representing the county's fourth district.
He joined the Pigeon Forge Fire Department at the age of 18, and has served as a lieutenant, captain, training officer and secretary/treasurer as well as administrator. As administrator for the past four years, he oversaw daily operations for the fire department.
"He's been a very good firefighter and a very good administrator," Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster said. "It's a big loss for us and a huge gain for the city of Gatlinburg."
Patterson said he felt he had accomplished many of the goals he had set for himself as an administrator of the Pigeon Forge department. "I appreciate the things they've done for me," he said.
Teaster said the city will begin searching for a new administrator immediately.
"That's obviously a very important decision for the city and the department," she said.
Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle said outgoing Chief Gary West "did a good job of aiding her in the process of selection (of a new fire chief)."
"The MTAS assessment was done the first part of last week. There were four candidates, two internal and two external, and Greg came out on top in that assessment," continued Ogle, explaining that all the candidates were rated by professionals in the field.
She went on to say that, "I regret that Gary West is leaving, but I think Greg will serve the city well.
"I'm proud of the accomplishments of the Gatlinburg Fire Department over the last few years and I know everyone will continue working together and working with the new chief to keep our department the best in the state," Ogle said.
Patterson is a graduate of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, and attended Walters State Community College. He has certifications in all areas of emergency services and many additional certifications for specialized rescue efforts.
He is a member of United Way, Keep Sevier Beautiful and Sevier County Emergency Training Center.
Patterson is married to Wendy Owenby Patterson, and the couple have a 6-year-old daughter, Rylie. They are members of First Baptist Church of Pigeon Forge.
* jfarrell@themountainpress.com
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 24 Dec 2007.
Trip to Fenway was no strikeout
Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Patterson remembers every detail of the best Christmas present he ever got. The gift nearly brought him to tears.
"I'm a huge Boston Red Sox fan, and in 2004 my father-in-law Herbert Owenby gave me, my wife Wendy and our daughter Rylie tickets to a game at Fenway Park in Boston to see the Sox play. And, he also got us a tour of the stadium including going into the press box, and we got to stand on the Green Monster," said Patterson, referring to the famous left field wall.
Bubbling on about why the gift meant so much to him, Patterson said, "Fenway is the oldest baseball park in the nation - it opened in 1912 - and Fenway has been sold out for 388 consecutive games. It's hard to get tickets unless you pay premium prices. When I saw them, I was so happy I almost cried. It's one of those places I've wanted to go, like avid golfers would love to go to St. Andrews, which is the birthplace of golf. Fenway is one of the birthplaces of baseball. It's one of the top 10 places I have wanted to go."
The Pattersons went to Fenway in 2005 when their daughter was 6, but "she understood the significance of the whole thing, including getting to stand on the green monster. She's a big Red Sox fan too; she can name the starting lineup for the whole team. It's amazing."
Unfortunately he can't find the disc containing the pictures of that big trip.
-CANDICE GRIMM
Area residents recall their most memorable Christmas gift
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