Tony Knight is the Evansville fire chief, appointed in early 2024 to lead a department of 273 sworn firefighters working out of 14 stations across the city. He answers to the mayor, commands all emergency scenes the department responds to, and shares personnel authority with the city’s safety board. The job combines on-scene command with the administrative work of running one of Evansville’s largest municipal departments.
Tony Knight’s Background
Knight came up through emergency services rather than straight through the fire ranks. He started as a teenage volunteer at the Marrs Township Fire Department in Posey County, fighting fires alongside his father while attending EMT school. He then spent 17 years as an EMT and paramedic before joining the Evansville Fire Department full time, where he worked his way from captain to district chief to health and safety chief before being named chief.1City of Evansville. Fire Department
His official bio credits him with 31 years in emergency services overall.2American Red Cross. Tony Knight Bio The department he now runs operates on three rotating 24-hour shifts, each with roughly 83 members staffing the 14 stations around the clock.3The City of Evansville, Indiana. Fire and Emergency Response
How the Chief Gets the Job
The mayor appoints the fire chief. Indiana law requires the city executive to appoint “a chief of the fire department” along with the police chief and other key officers.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 36-4-9-8 – Third Class Cities; Appointment of Officers The mayor also has the option of appointing a public safety director over both fire and police, though Evansville has historically kept a separate fire chief.
There is no fixed term. The mayor can suspend or remove any officer the mayor or a predecessor appointed, as long as written reasons go to the city council.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 36 Local Government 36-4-11-2 In practice, the chief serves at the pleasure of the sitting administration. Candidates who reach the top job have typically spent 15 to 20 years or more progressing through supervisory and command ranks.
Command Authority on Emergency Scenes
When a fire breaks out or another emergency threatens lives or property, the chief, or the highest-ranking officer on scene, has sweeping legal authority. Under the Indiana Fire Code, the chief can direct all operations, order people and vehicles away from the area, and remove anything that could interfere with the department’s work.6UpCodes. Indiana Fire Code 2014 – Chapter 1 Scope and Administration – Section: Authority at Fires and Other Emergencies The chief can also authorize ropes, barricades, and guards across streets and private property to keep people clear and apparatus moving.
This authority is intentionally broad. A single point of command keeps competing orders from slowing down rescues or suppression. Anyone who ignores an order to leave the area can face enforcement action. At non-fire emergencies where the department responds, the ranking fire officer directs all emergency activities until law enforcement arrives.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 36-8-12-12 – Nonfire Emergency Activities; Duties of Fire Chief
What the Safety Board Controls, Not the Chief
The chief does not have sole authority over hiring, firing, and promotions. Indiana law places those powers with the safety board, which administers both the police and fire departments and holds exclusive control over the fire department, its property, fire alarms, fire escapes, and building inspections.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 36 Local Government 36-8-3-2 The board can adopt disciplinary rules and issues its orders to the department through the chief.
The safety board, not the chief, appoints rank-and-file firefighters and other department employees below the upper policymaking level.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 36-8-3-3 – Organization of Safety Boards It also fixes the total number of department members, subject to city ordinance. The chief recommends candidates and flags disciplinary issues, but formal action runs through the board.
When a firefighter faces suspension beyond five days, demotion, or dismissal, the board must offer a hearing. The member gets written notice at least 14 days ahead, the right to counsel, the ability to call and cross-examine witnesses, and the power to compel evidence. A demoted or dismissed member can appeal to the county circuit or superior court.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 36-8-3-4 – Police Officers and Firefighters; Discipline, Demotion, and Dismissal; Hearings; Appeals; Administrative Leave These protections exist because firefighters hold office until the board acts.
Running the Department Day to Day
Away from emergency scenes, the chief runs a mid-sized organization. The annual budget covers equipment, salaries, station maintenance, and specialized training across all 14 stations, and the chief coordinates with the city controller to manage those funds and defend spending to the administration. Evansville’s proposed 2026 city budget reflects modest overall growth, with public safety identified as a core priority.
Staffing is a constant puzzle. Three rotating 24-hour shifts across 14 stations have to be balanced against vacation, sick leave, training absences, and retirements. Assistant chiefs and division chiefs handle specialized areas like training, investigations, and health and safety, but the chief carries ultimate responsibility for keeping response times where they need to be.
Prevention and Code Enforcement
A major part of the role is preventing emergencies, not just responding to them. The Fire Prevention Inspection Unit operates within the department under the chief’s supervision, enforcing the city’s fire prevention code through building inspections and compliance checks.11City of Evansville. Evansville Code 8.20 – Fire Prevention Inspectors check commercial buildings for code compliance, verify that fire dampers meet federal and state requirements, and maintain inspection records that must be kept available on the premises.
The chief’s office also runs public education, including fire safety outreach to schools and community groups, and works with the city council to request funding for larger projects like new apparatus and station renovations. During major disasters, the chief coordinates with state-level emergency management to access mutual aid and comply with broader safety protocols. Officer training in Indiana runs through programs overseen by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.12Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Indiana Department of Homeland Security – Fire Training