Tag: Safety

Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Health, Safety, teachers, Uncategorized, UTC

A Promise to Defend
Defend Systems’ active shooter training arrived at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga following a fake active-shooter 9-1-1 call on August 21, 2025. All UTC faculty and staff were required to attend a three-hour Defend Systems training designed to improve preparedness and response to armed violence threats. (Video by Kayelyn McCaslin).

Written by Malcolm Key

Malcolm Key speaks with Sean O’Brien and Brink Fidler about the false-flag shooting alert at UTC in August 2025. The pair discuss their hope to arm people with education in order to confront questions of public safety within higher education.  

Run. Hide. Fight. A message of few words, but of massive impact for students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on August 21, 2025. Just one full week into the first semester, students had to act on instinct: barricading into closets and running to the closest outgoing car. Within minutes, city law enforcement redirected to UTC to join campus police in sweeping every inch of campus, prepared to find the threat and establish safety. After the dust settled, and no signs of injury or gunfire were found, UTC Police debriefed, with an emphasis on the question, “How can we do better?”

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Animals, Anxiety, art, Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Entertainment, Environment, Family, Folklore, Healing, Health, History, Hugs, Love, Music, outdoors, Sports, teachers, Trains

Rising Rock Radio Showcase
Graphic by Kylee Boone

Rising Rock is excited to showcase some of our best audio stories in a continued partnership with Scenic Roots.

Nature vs Nurture

Taryn Brooks sits with Taylor Reed, a member and volunteer of Forest Families of Chattanooga. Reed, along with her daughter, has grown alongside the organization and seen the benefits of nature firsthand.
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Chattanooga, Daily Life, Environment, Health, outdoors, Safety, Sustainability, Uncategorized

Cliffside Saviors

Written by Alexis McMurtry

Alexis McMurtry speaks with Bill Moore about his experiences volunteering with the Chattanooga Hamilton County cave/cliff/technical team and his chaotic day-to-day schedule.

Bill Moore, a volunteer rescuer, was surrounded by the faint glow of his and his teammates’ headlamps as they navigated through a cave’s twisting passages, squeezing through narrow crevices and scaling steep inclines.

On the surface, Cara Moore is developing and releasing information about the rescue to the public. Her mind is in two places: the state of the rescue and the well-being of her husband, Bill.

What seemed like an adrenaline-filled adventure was another day in the office for the Chattanooga Hamilton County Cave-Cliff-Technical Rescue Team.

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Chattanooga, community, Family, Health, women

Gender Equality in Tennessee: The Fight Continues

Written By Madison Van Horn

Elizabeth Sparks looks on at her newborn son, Conan, as her husband holds his hand. Sunday, October 2, 2022. (Photo by Allie English).

Last December, Elizabeth Watts found out that she was pregnant at the age of 19 and was immediately burdened with a heavy decision; to have her child or to have an abortion.

“I’ve always been pro-choice, but I thought to myself, ‘There’s no way I could go through with an abortion,’” Elizabeth said. “I don’t think I could handle that emotionally, but having got pregnant, it made me consider, ‘Does this kid have a future? Will I be able to take care of it? Will I be able to work?’”

This narrative is all too familiar for women across the country, but specifically here in the 45th state for women, Tennessee.

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