Firefighters' Weekend

6/15/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO supported a local event for Firefighters by passing out doughnuts and coffee. the event was designed as a training secession for our local heroes in our fire departments. Here is what Shane Scoggins at The Hartwell Sun wrote about the event:

" The Lavonia Fire Department hosted a Firefighters's Weekend that provided training for 97 volunteer firefighters from Franklin, Hart, Stephens, Madison, Habersham and Banks counties.

Over the years, us going to Forsyth, it's hard for volunteers to get off. Lavonia fire chief Scott O'Barr said of a motivation for ht weekend.

It would be impossible for the number of volunteers attending Lavonia's event to all drive two hours to Forsyth for training, O'Barr said.

By offering classes in Lavonia, it allows Firefighters "to work with people they work with," he said which allows them to train as a group and team.

It also allowed firefighters from departments from neighboring counties to get to know each other.

Holding such classes was part of the motivation for the Lovonia department to build its training center behind the Lavoina Cultural Center.

The center, which allows live burns and training exercises, opened last year.

The volunteers attending the weekend had the opportunity to attend classes in basic structure fire control, auto extrication and low angle rope rescue. Department officers were also able to take volunteer officers' class.

The weekend included classroom work Saturday and hands-on training Sunday at the training center and the other locations.

Instructors from all over the state came to Lavonia to teach the classes. The instructors included members of Georgia Smokejumpers, an elite group that O'Barr said was the fire service's equivalent of Navy SEALs.

In addition to classes the weekend included a T-shirt for each student, meals Saturday and Sunday, doughnuts and coffee both mornings and refreshments.

All that was provided free of charge to the participants.

"They had to bring absolutely nothing but their gear" O'Barr said.

David Phillips said the Firefighters Association received a grant from the Hart EMC Foundation to cover mos of the $4,500 costs - including Lodging for some out-of-town instructors. Anyone wanting to make a donation to cover the remaining cost may do so at the Firefighters Association, which is a 5013 organization.

O'Barr said the weekend was also made possible by donations from Fireline Fire Equipment, SERVPRO, Subway of Lavonia and Concept Graphics and assistance from Georgia Emergency Management Agency and EMS.