Firefighting is risky business, but a gutsy move by Cal Wyman led to his promotion to chief of Knoxville Fire & Rescue. He didn’t put his life on the line — just his job. Wyman was hired as deputy chief and began work in mid-September by handling more than he might have bargained for. Chief Jim Mitchell headed off to a new job leading Polk City’s fire department, so Wyman began as interim chief. The role gave him a chance to prove himself while the city sought to hire a new chief. “That was my moment to shine and to prove what I’m capable of,” he said. “It was make or break. They were either gonna like what I was doing or not like it.” Wyman started by asking KF&R staff to analyze the department’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Staffing emerged as a big need, he said. Prior to Mitchell’s departure, KF&R operated for more than seven months without a deputy chief.