You can call him Capt. Dustin Bull or Professor Dustin Bull. He’ll answer to either. He’s passionate about both aspects of his career. He minces no words. “I am passionate about the fire service work I do and also about the teaching. I’m lucky because I am blessed with two passions when a lot of people don’t have one passion.”
Dustin Bull
Bull, 41, is in his 22nd year at the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD). These days he’s found at Station 17 on Oak Ridge Highway, which is one of KFD’s busiest stations. His rig is Quint 17, driven by Master Firefighter Mike Curl, who is also an Advance EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). The third one on the truck, Bull says, is “the new kid, Dustin Ramsey” in his first year as a firefighter and EMT.
Station’s 17 coverage area is I-40 West to Papermill from downtown, a swath of I-640 and parts of Oak Ridge Highway and Clinton Highway and places in between. Bull says it covers the second largest area of KFD. The call volume is high. “We usually average about six to 10 calls a day and some days we have as many as 13 or 14,” Bull says.
The fact is, he says, that 85% of the calls that first responder firefighters, paramedics and EMTs answer are medical calls at homes, businesses, vehicle accidents and unfortunately, in today’s world, drug overdoses.
“A big percentage of our calls are overdoses, heroin laced with fentanyl, and that’s where we save lives,” he said. “We do CPR and get a pulse and get them breathing again. It happens so often and it’s sad.”
Bull had a role model in the family who led him into the career – the late KFD Capt. Ralph “Pedro” Mantooth, who was his father-in-law. Mantooth spent 37 years at KFD, retiring as a captain in 2007. He passed away in April 2022 at 71.
“He was also a great friend who had a real heart for serving others and that impressed and stayed with me,” Bull said. “When I was 16, I was determined to be a firefighter and I applied right out of high school when I was 18 (Carter High class of 1999).” The process took 14 months and he was hired in 2001.
In 2002 he was promoted to senior firefighter and in 2006 master firefighter. He earned his captain bars in 2017.
As for his role as “The Professor” and his passion for education and teaching, here’s the rundown:
- Holds associate degree from Roane State Community College in health sciences/paramedic and a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University in emergency management & fire administration.
- Teaches KFD continuing education to firefighters five to six days a month for AEMT and EMT for certifications.
- Trains new KFD hires to be AEMTs and EMTs.
- Serves as adjunct faculty at Roane State teaching AEMTs and EMTs.
- Teaches CPR in the community to businesses.
And his passion for the firefighting and medical calls has not diminished. He’s not even considering promotions these days. “I still enjoying being on the truck and seeing and experiencing the direct effects of what we do and seeing it all with my own eyes on a daily basis,” Bull explained. “It’s exciting work and it’s an adventure. We help people on a large scale – fires, rescue work, medical calls, hazardous materials – all facets of the job. The variety in this career is amazing.”
He respects the KFD for its double emphasis on the firefighting and medical aspects of the job. “We’ve got an amazing department full of very dedicated and phenomenal people,” he said.
Like most in the business he sees his share of situations that can “get to him” – injured children in vehicle accidents, the drug overdoses, people who have been abused, the impact on families of suicides. How does he handle the tough ones? “I’ve learned to deal with it myself through the years,” Bull said. “Some are tougher than others.”
On a lighter note, the captain considers himself the best cook on the Blue shift. “I can cook most anything you want. Firehouse chili is a favorite. Chicken fajitas, chicken Parmesan and Smash burgers,” he said. “But we’re all pretty good in the kitchen. We seldom go out to eat.”
Hobbies? “What hobbies?” he said. “I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies. I’m either working my shift, teaching or planning for teaching my courses or training and I love it all every day.”
Battalion Chief Kevin Faddis knows Bull well. “You would not know his skillset because he never talks much about himself,” Faddis says. “But two of his great skills are communications and understanding people in different circumstances. He’s great at calming people down. He is really competent in everything he does. He makes his training classes fun and entertaining. I know that he’s a great captain and I’m glad and proud to work with him.”
Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia.