The Collierville Fire Department has seen a new development in its leadership as Joe Lee Rape, who boasts over twenty years of commitment and experience in the field, has been promoted to the position of EMS Chief, this promotion comes with the backdrop of a familial legacy in fire service spanning multiple generations, including his grandfather, a WWII and Korea veteran founder of the Forest Hill Volunteer Fire Department, and his father, a retired Division Chief of Operations from the Shelby County Fire Department, a narrative woven deeply into the fabric of the Rape family, according to a recent announcement by the department.
Chief Rape, a product of Collierville High School's class of 1998, began his fire service journey at the Texas A&M Fire School, with his career eventually taking him from Horn Lake Fire Department to joining Collierville Fire and Rescue in 2001; throughout his extensive career, he has assumed a variety of roles, with the last 17 years dedicated to Fire House Number 5, and beyond his local service, he has been an active member of Tennessee Task Force One, a federal Urban Search and Rescue team deployed to several major disasters including Hurricane Sandy and tornado responses across states like Oklahoma, Kentucky and Tennessee. He brings to the table a wealth of hands-on experience, highlighted by his recent involvement in relief efforts in Selmer, Tennessee.
With EMS services constituting approximately 85% of the department's workload, Chief Rape steps into his new role with the intention of shaping the department's future and ensuring the community receives high-quality care, his approach is marked by an emphasis on maintaining rigorous training standards, excellent customer service, and consistent improvement, qualities he deems essential for both recruitment and retention as well as for supporting the incoming wave of emergency responders, "I’ve been around it my whole life," Chief Rape told Collierville's official website, reflecting on his lifelong immersion in the fire service landscape.
Residing in Collierville with his family, which includes his wife of 19 years and their three children, Chief Rape remains ingrained in the community — his involvement ranging from local youth sports to leadership initiatives like Leadership Collierville, considering the town not just as his workplace but as the community that reared him, now presenting him the opportunity for reciprocity as a neighbor, coach, and leader, he's passionate about his transition from operational shift work to a more strategic leadership position, focusing on being a pillar of support for firefighter paramedics under his command, advocating the critical importance of impact on a daily basis, "It’s about making a difference — every call, every day," Chief Rape said, encapsulating his vision for his tenure as EMS Chief.
