[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 187 (Friday, November 7, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATING FIRE CHIEF GINA SWEAT ON HER RETIREMENT

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 7, 2025

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the outstanding 
public service performed by Memphis' first female Fire Chief, Gina 
Sweat, who retired last month after more than 33 years with the 
department. Ms. Sweat joined the Memphis Fire Department in May of 
1992, one of two women in her recruiting class of 84, after receiving a 
bachelor of business administration in 1988 from Freed-Hardeman 
University in Henderson, Tennessee, where she played collegiate 
basketball. After joining the department, she continued her education 
by receiving a bachelor's of professional studies in fire 
administration in 2000 and a master's of professional studies in 
strategic leadership in 2013 from the University of Memphis. She rose 
through the ranks as a driver, lieutenant, battalion chief and division 
chief, deputy chief of logistics and deputy director until she was 
appointed Fire Chief by former Mayor Jim Strickland on January 1, 2016. 
In interviews through the years Chief Sweat said she learned to ``over-
prepare'' for each new assignment. As chief, she undertook initiatives 
to improve the Insurance Services Office, made multi-million dollar 
renovations of the 911 Communications Center, the Office of Emergency 
Management building and built three new state-of-the-art fire stations 
and a new fire administration building. Chief Sweat's tenure also saw 
the department expand into responding to medical emergencies. It also 
included the Covid epidemic period when the fire department was the 
lead local agency conducting vaccinations. In my contacts with Chief 
Sweat, she was always pleasant. She was easy to communicate with and 
she certainly had a professional demeanor, which inspired my belief 
that the Fire Department was in good hands. Sweat had ``the most 
appropriate name for the job'' joked a local columnist, and her tenure 
as chief led to significant advances. I wish her well in retirement.

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