After 29 years of service to the Franklin Fire Department, Training Division Captain David Kolak will retire next week. His career has been marked by significant contributions to the department, the community, and the fire service profession.
A graduate of Brentwood High School, Kolak continued his studies in criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University. Although firefighting was not initially his career choice, his roommate, a volunteer firefighter with the Williamson County Rescue Squad, encouraged him to join in 1991, which led him to pursue firefighting as a profession.
After volunteering with Williamson County for four years and obtaining his firefighting certifications and EMT license, Kolak was hired by the Franklin Fire Department in 1995. At that time, the department had 35 firefighters and three stations. It responded to fewer than 1,500 calls annually, providing only basic medical care. Over the years, Kolak has witnessed FFD’s tremendous growth and transformation. Today, it has 153 firefighters and responds to more than 11,000 calls annually from eight stations across Franklin, providing Advanced Life Support (ALS), the highest level of pre-hospital medical care. Kolak has seen the fire service increasingly evolve to become more technical and embrace innovative technological advancements.
Throughout his career, Kolak worked on all shifts and at nearly every station. He served in several roles, including firefighter, engineer, and lieutenant, before being promoted to captain in 2006. He was the officer in charge of countless emergency scenes, managing critical incidents throughout the city for nearly two decades.
In 2021, Kolak transitioned to the role of Training Division Captain, where he has played an important role in shaping the department’s development. He said he has thoroughly enjoyed this final assignment, finding great satisfaction in mentoring recruits and firefighters on shift. At FFD, each firefighter averages around 300 hours of training annually, which Kolak helped coordinate, often in collaboration with other agencies, including those at the state and national levels. “I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Kolak. “I get to interact with the entire department, not just a single shift. It’s been fun seeing the younger people come in.” He added that he has found fulfillment in guiding their careers and has also valued the opportunity to make an impact alongside fire service leaders across the country.
In addition to his role in the Training Division, Kolak’s career highlights include helping design Technical Rescue 5 and serving as a member of the Special Operations Team. He played a crucial role during the May 2010 flood, when the department rescued over 400 residents from flooded areas in just two days. Kolak has received numerous awards, including a Meritorious Service Award in 2017 for extricating a patient from an overturned vehicle in a creek on an I-65 embankment during severe weather. He also earned two Phoenix Awards in 2014 and 2016 for successfully resuscitating patients in cardiac arrest, as well as a Stork Award in 2014 for assisting in the delivery of a baby. When asked about his most cherished memories, Kolak emphasized the importance of the people he worked with, saying, “I’ve got a lot of incidents, some of them I’d like to forget, but never will. More so for me, it’s the people I’ve worked with than any particular incident.”
Kolak’s retirement comes without a set plan. “I’m just going to take a couple of months to relax and figure out what the next chapter is. It’s nice to be able to do that and be in that position,” he shared. “The City of Franklin has been good to me.” He is proud of his daughter, Natalie, who is following in his footsteps, working in the Emergency Department at Williamson Health while pursuing her EMT license. Kolak fondly recalls when she was a toddler, he saw her practicing CPR on a frozen ham he had placed in the grocery cart. He laughs, saying he knew then she had a vocation.
Fire Chief Glenn Johnson said, “Captain Kolak’s career is a testament to the heart and dedication that defines the Franklin Fire Department. His leadership, experience, and mentorship have shaped the lives of many firefighters and helped countless people in need. He will be deeply missed by all of us. The Franklin Fire Department and the entire community congratulate him on his outstanding career, thank him for nearly three decades of service, and wish him a rewarding retirement.”
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