The Fire Wire. Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services. November-December Volume 10 - Issue 6

Transcription

1 Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services November-December Volume 10 - Issue 6

2 Published bi-monthly by the Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services Tim Prather Fire Chief The Fire Wire Four Firefighters Promoted Page 2 Tim Cavender Editor Eddie Robinson Assistant Fire Chief Rick Ruh Fire Marshal Kevin Botts Support Services Manager Jill Mabley, M.D.,FACEP Medical Director Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services 150 Chattin Drive Canton, GA Phone: [678] Fax: [678] Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Closed Saturday, Sunday and Holidays ABOUT THE COVER: Some of the most useful gift ideas are ignored during the holidays. Here is a list of excellent safety gifts than you can pick up during your holiday shopping trip. Attending today s promotion ceremony were (left to right) EMS Chief, Danny West, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, Sgt. Jeremy Pannell, Capt. Ron Williams, Lt. Ric Mitchell, Sgt. Stephen Whitfield, Assistant Fire Chief, Eddie Robinson, and Fire Marshal, Rick Ruh. Four Cherokee County firefighters were promoted on September 7th during ceremonies at Station 8, located in Holly Springs. The following firefighters were promoted to the rank of Sergeant: Jeremy Pannell and Stephen Whitfield. Pannell came to work for Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services in 2007 and Whitfield came to work in Ric Mitchell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Mitchell came to the department in 2003 and was promoted to Sergeant in Ron Williams was promoted to the rank of Captain. Williams came to work for the fire department in He was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and to Lieutenant in Numerous firefighters, chiefs and family members attended the event. A lunch was held afterwards in honor of the promotions. Story on page 8

3 Page 3 Moose Lodge Awards Held The Canton Moose Lodge paid tribute to local fire and emergency service personnel during their annual Public Safety Awards Banquet that was held on October 15th at the Canton Moose Family Center. After a delicious meal and a featured speaker, awards were given to the following honorees with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services: Paramedic of the Year Andrew Vickers Firefighter of the Year Erik Alford Volunteer Firefighter of the Year Bob Kintner Special Teams Member of the Year Linda Winn Support Services Member of the Year Danny Daniels Being congratulated by Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather (right) at the Canton Moose Lodge Awards program are (left to right) Linda Winn, Erik Alford, Bob Kinter, Andrew Vickers and Cheyenne Gurley. (Not pictured Danny Daniels) Fire Explorer of the Year Cheyenne Gurley May You Have a Safe and Joyous Holiday! Merry Christmas from Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services

4 Page 4 Groundbreaking Held For Fire Training Facility A large crowd gathered on October 16th for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cherokee County Fire Training Complex that will be located on Old Highway 5, just south of the Holly Springs business district, in the old Pikes Nursery facility. Helping to break ground at the location of the new Fire Training Facility are (left to right): Buzz Ahrens, Chairman of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioner, Jim Hubbard, Post 2 Commissioner, Eddie Robinson, Assistant Fire Chief, Harry Johnston, Post 1 Commissioner, Raymond Gunnin, former Fire Chief and newly elected Commissioner for Post 2, Tim Prather, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Jerry Cooper, County Manager, Alan Cablik, CEO of Cablik Enterprises, Jason Picciano, Vice President of Commercial Development for Cablik Enterprises and Steve Defelippi from Pond and Company. Eddie Robinson, Assistant Fire Chief, gave the official welcome to those in attendance. Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, thanked all of those who worked hard during the development stages of the training center. Buzz Ahrens, Chairman for the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, said that he was excited about this new addition to Cherokee County and is looking forward to the ribbon cutting when it is completed. Al Pond, CEO of Pond and Company, the architects for the project, said that a major benefit to the citizens is that this facility should help lower the ISO rating for the county. ISO is perhaps best known as the company that provides ratings for local fire departments, used by insurance companies to determine premiums for homeowner policies in that area. Misti Martin, President of the Cherokee County Office of Economic Development, said, "Public Safety services were the highest ranked Community Services in the 2011 Existing Industry Surveys conducted by the Cherokee Office of Economic Development. Fire protection services excelled with a score of 4.8 out of 5, ambulance and paramedic services was second with a score of 4.7 out of 5." Other speakers at the event included Cherokee County Commissioner, Jim Hubbard, Holly Springs City Manager, Rob Logan, President of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Pam Carnes, President of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, Misti Martin and Presi- (story continues on page 5) PHOTO AT LEFT- Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony.

5 Page 5 Groundbreaking Held For Fire Training Facility (continued from page 4) dent of Cablik Enterprises, Al Cablik. Once completed, the new training center will featured a concrete live fire structure, a multi-story concrete training tower to assist with search and rescue training evolutions, an apparatus classroom containing showers, fitness room and a small medical room. There is also a small pond located on the property that will be used to gather storm water for training purposes. There will also be an elevated observation area where families can come and watch the training exercises. The facility will hopefully be completed within a year. GAS PROPS AREA TOWER PHYSICAL TRAINING MULTI-USE TRAINING AREA BLDG EXPANSION APPARATUS STAGING TRAINING CENTER BLDG BURN BLDG Cherokee County Manager, Jerry Cooper (left), speaks with newly elected commissioner and former fire chief, Raymond Gunnin (right). A large crowd of local officials, Cherokee County citizens and firefighters attended the groundbreaking event.

6 Page 6 Patriot Day Ceremony Held in Canton Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, and Cherokee County Sheriff, Roger Garrison, lay the wreath at the Public Safety Memorial. Patriots Day ceremonies were held on September 11th, at the Public Safety Memorial, located next to the historic Cherokee County Courthouse. The event is held each year to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City. Tim Cavender, Public Information Officer for Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services, emceed the event. The first speaker for the morning was Major Ed Lacey with the Cherokee County Sheriff s Department who gave the morning s official welcome. Kevin Roach, Deputy Chief with the Cherokee County Marshal s Office, gave the invocation, followed by the presentation of the flags by the Cherokee County Joint Public Safety Color Guard and the playing of the national anthem by the Cherokee High School Band of Warriors. Woodstock Police Chief, Calvin Moss, came forward to lead everyone in a moment of silence. Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, introduced the guest speaker of the event, Johnny Weaver. Mr. Weaver is President of Mauldin s Body Shop and Towing and is also a member of the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Chaplain Team. After Weaver s speech, a wreath was laid at the Public Safety Memorial by Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, and Cherokee County Sheriff, Roger Garrison. The Hickory Log Baptist Church Choir provided a musical tribute. Closing remarks were made by Robert Merchant, Police Chief for the City of Canton and Canton Mayor, Gene Hobgood. Right: The Hickory Log Baptist Church Choir provided music for the Patriot Day Ceremony.

7 The Fire Wire Page Moonlight Madness A Success! Once again, Safe Kids Cherokee County hosted their annual Moonlight Madness event on October 25th, 29th and 30th at the Kroger Stores in Hickory Flat, Macedonia and Towne Lake. Here are some of the creatures who attended this year s event... The cops were out in force. Gangsters in the house! A devil in disguise! A cowgirl riding a unicorn. It s Cracker Jack! A caught lobster!

8 Page 8 Safety Gifts Are a Great Idea For This Holiday Some of the most useful holiday gift ideas are ignored when it comes to shopping for friends and family. These gifts may even be more valuable than popular items like computers, clothing and even money. Safety gifts are great holiday gift choices to give to anyone. They vary in price but can save someone's life or even help them to maintain their current lifestyle on a daily basis. Here is a list of excellent safety gifts that you can pick up during your holiday shopping trip: Flashlights and Batteries New homeowners and college students are great candidates for these particular holiday safety gifts. However, flashlights and batteries can be given to anyone that you can think of. You cannot predict a power outage, bad weather or dangerous situations that require men and women to find their way with limited light sources. Flash lights can be useful in numerous situations and do not have to be exclusively for the home. Many car owners can utilize flashlights if they are driving on a dimly lit road late at night, in fog, heavy snowfalls or in an accident. Any type of situation where visibility is low on the road will be improved with the use of a flashlight. Batteries can be given as additional gifts to power the flashlights. This may seem like a simple household item but unfortunately, some people do not have a working flashlight. It is always good to have one nearby in an emergency situation. Since this is not one of the typical items that people place on their holiday wish list, be sure to get a quality flash light. The same goes for batteries. Going to the dollar store is not one of the best choices for this holiday safety gift. Alarm System This is one of the best safety gifts for older individuals and people who live alone. An alarm system can be used for years, making your holiday gift money well spent. One of the most important factors in purchasing one is doing as much research as possible. Some alarm systems are not great in quality and can become more annoying than useful. There are people who have changed alarm systems three times over the course of a few years. If your safety gift causes more problems than solutions, it may end up being one of the recipient's worst holiday gifts. There are various alarm system packages available from several popular security system companies. These packages range in price from $50 up to a few hundred dollars. Fire Extinguisher and Carbon Monoxide Detector This is one of the holiday safety gifts that could mean the difference between minimal damage and extreme damage when it comes to fires. The second holiday gift idea could mean the difference between life and death. Many people are familiar with fire extinguishers yet, everyone does not have one in their home or apartment. These simple safety tools are very useful in emergency situations. They can come in handy even if someone does not encounter a large fire. Imagine a small fire starting in your kitchen that could spread to your living room. Would you rather try and put the fire out while it is small or wait until there is no choice but to evacuate your home? This may cause you to have to spend thousands of dollars remodeling your home when the results could have been different if a fire extinguisher was used quickly. This is one of the best holiday gifts for new parents. Much like fire extinguishers, many people do not own a carbon monoxide detector. This simple holiday safety gift could save the lives of your family, friends and their children.