Pictured left to right: Cannon Brown, Gerry Brown, John Brown, Chief Jim Mitchell and Jayden Brown

The Knoxville Fire Department has received a donation allowing them to purchase two helmet cams and two dash cams.

The family of John and Gerry Brown made the donation as a memorial to Gerry’s mother Virginia Treanor, who was transported by Knoxville Fire and Rescue several times near the end of her life. Knoxville Fire Jim Mitchell tells KNIA/KRLS News these sophisticated cameras can make firefighters safer and more effective. Having a first person perspective on a fire allows first responders to review their performance to improve techniques and can also be helpful as evidence in arson investigations. The cameras were an unbudgeted expense that the department must rely on donations to pay for.