October 25, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A group of people from the community including several county commissioners have been participating in a free 6-week course to get first-hand knowledge and experience of what it’s like to be a county volunteer firefighter and to learn more about how the department and supporting agencies operate.
The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Citizens’ Fall Fire Academy began September 20 and will end with a graduation ceremony for the participants (tonight) October 25. The 2-hour classes meet each Tuesday evening at the department’s Main Station on King Ridge Road.
“ When we started several years ago we had two fire academy events per year but now they are annually. The purpose of this academy is to provide a behind-the-scenes look, from a citizens’ perspective, at the organizational structure, administration, operation, and response capabilities of the DeKalb County Fire Department and supporting agencies,” said DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green.
Participants may observe or actually get some hands-on experience by putting on firefighter turnout gear and operating department equipment, including the jaws of life extrication tools under the supervision of the county firefighters.
“We are not trying to train people to be firefighters. This is more of an educational type venture and, while participants have the opportunity to cut up a car using the jaws of life and use a fire hose to spray some water, it’s not a physically demanding program,” said Chief Green
Although the course is not intended to recruit future volunteer firefighters, the department has picked up a few over the years because of the academy. “We have had people go through the program and their level of interest was high enough that they did later apply and become active members of the county fire department,” added Chief Green.
Members of the current academy are Pam Redmon, Myron Rhody, Daniel Cripps, Susannah Cripps-Daughtry, Greg Matthews, Larry Green, Glynn Merriman, Justin Adcock, Ashby Woodward, and Rhonda Merriman.
The next session of the DCFD Citizens’ Fire Academy will be in the spring of 2023. If you are interested in enrolling, please text your name, email address, and phone number to Chief Donny Green at 615-464-7176