Christopher Michael Blankenship was born in Jackson, Tennessee. Being a husband and father was his first love, and being a firefighter was his second love. He joined the Madison County Fire Department as a volunteer at Station 2 on March 3, 2004. He was a very dedicated firefighter and one of the first there whether it was training, working a scene, cleaning the station, or guiding a tour group. He had recently attended training to become an emergency medical responder, just one more way he wanted to be able to give back and help his community.

He had a big heart with true passion to help others. He put himself out there to protect others. He was always there willing to help however he could, with a smile, putting others before himself. He was always smiling, just a happy-go-lucky person. He didn’t talk a whole lot, but anything that needed to be done, he was right there ready to do it. He was a family man. He had his fire department family, along with his home family, and he loved to talk about his children, Bailey and Chase. He was involved in all of their activities. We know he loved his wife and kids. You really couldn’t talk to him without him saying how wonderful his family was. He was a member at Meridian Baptist Church. Chris honored his Lord and Savior as he went out in love to do what God had called him to do, as we know being a firefighter is a special calling.

Chris made the ultimate sacrifice on May 3, 2015, after a tree fell on him while he worked the scene of a car fire. He and his father-in-law were always on call and always ready. It’s easy to say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he was always in the wrong places for eleven years, helping other people get out. Our fallen brother, Firefighter Chris Blankenship, will be greatly missed but never forgotten.