All firefighters deserve our respect

Published 2:43 pm Saturday, April 11, 2009

To the editor:

Contrary to the popular belief among the many members who are leaving comments in the daily forum the Whitfield County Fire Department is not solely a volunteer fire department. They do have volunteer firefighters; but, the WCFD is staffed with fully trained and competent firefighters! It may be true that city fire department does not have volunteers; however, this also means they may hire a person with no experience.

Firefighters in the county are typically hired from the applicants that have been trained as volunteer firefighters, often with years of experience as a volunteer. All firefighters with either department are required to complete rookie school/training prior to being allowed to run certain calls. All members of the WCFD are required to be first responders and several of the WCFD firefighters also have their EMT national certifications.

Both city and the county have in-house training. The WCFD has weekly training for the firefighters at each station; as well as, an extensive quarterly training at the WCFD training center. Firefighters also go to classes throughout the year ranging from one day up to a week long at the Georgia Fire Academy/Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth; there they receive additional training in firefighter skills, National Professional Qualificaitons, Hazmat and many other related areas. In these classes they undergo written and practical/skills test to gain certification in the class. Both departments are listed on the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Councils website as compliant fire departments.

While it may be true that WCFD does not have a single ladder truck (as mentioned in the forum), they do have 10 stations all of which have at least an engine and a tanker or two engines. The WCFD has a budget that is based on taxpayer dollars. These items are bought based on that budget. There have been opportunities for the county to improve on the monetary amounts that go to the county fire department; however, when there have been public votes that would put more tax dollars to the fire department in recent years they have not passed.

County firefighters are experienced and qualified to overcome all job-related obstacles! They always go above and beyond! They are there whenever they are called upon!

I can assure you overall both departments are apprehensive regarding possible changes, including the departments merging. But one thing is for sure, these are our firefighters. They spend long hours away from their families.

Be it in the city or county, our firefighters deserve respect, not the uneducated comments that are being posted in the forum! We are proud of our firefighters and all that they do!



Olivia Key

Whitfield County