Tennessee Code Title 4. State Government § 4-24-201

(1) “Commission” means the commission on firefighting personnel standards and education created by this chapter;

(2) “Fire department” means a department of a municipality, county, or political subdivision, or an organization, agency, or entity that offers its services, for or without pay, for the purpose of suppressing fires, performing rescue services, or for other emergency response purposes. “Fire department” does not mean law enforcement agencies, emergency medical agencies licensed by the Tennessee emergency medical services board, and rescue squads that do not provide fire protection;

(3) “Firefighter” means a person in the employ of a unit of government fire department that is registered and recognized by the state fire marshal and is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents; and

(4) “Volunteer firefighter” means a person who volunteers with a county, municipal, or nonprofit fire department that is registered and recognized by the state fire marshal and who is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents.