(MURFREESBORO) City Manager Craig Tindall has appointed Mark McCluskey as Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Chief, effective July 1, 2023. McCluskey had served as Interim Chief since July 2022.

“Mark has demonstrated strong leadership since being appointed Interim Chief,” said City Manager Craig Tindall. “His nearly four decades of firefighting and emergency services experience with the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department has been invaluable in the leadership transition and I am confident in Mark’s continued leadership critical to the safety of our community.” 

McCluskey was first hired as a Murfreesboro firefighter in February of 1985 and was promoted to Fire Captain/Fire Inspector in November 1998. McCluskey rose through the ranks of MFRD as a Battalion Chief of Special Operations in 2018, and Assistant Chief of Operations, then Interim Chief in July 2022.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected for this leadership position,” said Chief McCluskey. “I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Murfreesboro in providing professional public safety service. We have some of the best-trained men and women in Tennessee and look forward to providing quality emergency services with pride and respect to all our citizens.” 

McCluskey attended Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin and received leadership and management training throughout his career with state certifications as Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, Fire Inspector, Incident Safety Officer, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) and numerous other certifications in fire service.

McCluskey serves on the Incident Management Team with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) for deployment in disasters. He is a current member of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

McCluskey was born and raised in Murfreesboro. He has two children. His son, Michael, attends MTSU and daughter, Mary Faith, attends Southwest College in Memphis on a softball scholarship.

McCluskey replaces previous chief Mark A. Foulks who resigned after serving as chief from August 2015 to July 2022.