State fire commission head praises MTSU public safety program as graduation looms

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With Middle Tennessee State University’s fall graduation ceremony just around the corner on Saturday, Dec. 14, future alumni are busy studying for finals and preparing for the big day. Among them is Heather Zimmerman, who’s balancing her studies, family life and a career transition.

Heather Zimmerman

She’s in month three of a new role as the executive director of the Tennessee Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education Commission, an agency that oversees firefighter training and safety across the state for volunteer and paid firefighters. She transitioned there after more than a dozen years of working for the Nashville Fire Department where she was a paramedic, engineer and captain.

She started the public safety program, a concentration of the integrated studies bachelor’s degree within University College, after she graduated with her associate degree from Motlow State Community College. It was a big undertaking since she and her husband, Luke, a firefighter in Murfreesboro, are parents to three children ages 2, 8 and 10.

This was not her first experience at MTSU, though. She enrolled in the EMT training program when she was a senior at Riverdale High School.

“The first legal document I ever signed after I turned 18 was actually the papers to enroll in the EMT classes,” Zimmerman, now 38, said while laughing. “I would go to high school all week while I also went to night classes at MTSU on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

She graduated from Riverdale in the spring and finished her EMT classes that November, the same week she turned 19.

“I have to admit it was really cool when I was making $30,000 right out of high school with a solid career outlook,” she said.

In this undated photo, Heather Zimmerman, left, executive director of the state’s fightfighting commission, is pictured along the Mississippi River with her family that includes husband Luke, daughter Elizabeth, bottom center, and sons Gage, right, and Leif. Zimmerman will soon graduate from Middle Tennessee State University with her bachelor’s degree after returning to the classroom to further study public safety. (Submitted photo)

Coming back to MTSU in 2021 made sense to her, especially since she knew the courses would pay off immediately. She said taking the classes while working caused her to think differently and model her learning around her career.

Throughout her career, Zimmerman has viewed advocacy as a core part of her identity. Whether it was fighting for better training for Nashville’s firefighters or now working on a statewide level, she’s always had one goal: ensuring that those who protect and serve are equipped with the tools and training they need to succeed.

This undated photo shows firefighters with the Nashville Fire Department where Middle Tennessee State University student Heather Zimmerman previously worked. Now executive director of the state’s fightfighting commission, Zimmerman will soon graduate from MTSU with her bachelor’s degree in integrated studies, with a concentration in public safety, after returning to the classroom. (Submitted photo)

“I’m so happy I can have this type of impact,” she said. “I’ve learned so many lessons at MTSU that I cannot wait to implement at my new job.”

For Zimmerman, this graduation marks more than just the completion of a degree.

“I did not go to my recruit graduation when I became a firefighter. I did not walk for my associate, and I didn’t go to the ceremony when I made captain,” she said. “This is the first time I will be doing something for me and will be publicly recognized as an adult. I have had so much going on the last several years, and this will be so cool to have my family there with me and reflect on what I have accomplished.”

As for what’s next, Zimmerman said she wants to focus on her new job before enrolling in a master’s program. She says she will also continue to recommend the public safety program to any firefighter that she speaks to.

“This program is really great,” she said. “Especially for anyone who is looking to continue moving up in their career and take on a leadership role.”

For more information about the flexible public safety program and other degrees and concentrations offered through University College, visit mtsu.edu/adcp.

— Hunter Patterson (Hunter.Patterson@mtsu.edu)