September - October Volume 12 - Issue 5

Cherokee County Office of Fire & Emergency ServicesThe Fire Wire

Fire Departments Work TogetherDuring Training

Story on page 5.....

Cherokee County Office ofFire and Emergency Services

150 Chattin DriveCanton, GA 30115

Phone: [678] 493-4000Fax: [678] 493-4034

www.cherokeecountyfire.org

Office Hours: Monday through Friday8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Closed Saturday, Sunday and Holidays

The Fire WirePublished bi-monthly by the

Cherokee County Office of Fireand Emergency Services

Tim PratherFire Chief

Tim CavenderEditor

Eddie RobinsonAssistant Fire Chief

Greg ErdelyField Operations Chief

Barry GibsonFire Marshal

Kevin BottsSupport Services Manager

Jill Mabley, M.D.,FACEPMedical Director

Page 2The Fire Wire

ABOUT THE COVER: Chero-kee County and Woodstockfirefighters work together dur-ing a week of rope rescuetraining at the CherokeeCounty Training Complex.

Photo and Story onpages 5

In many parts of the country autumn is a time of theyear when the summer weather starts

to cool, the air starts to feel moistand the leaves begin to fall from thetrees. When that time of the yeararrives, it is time to think of homesafety tips for fall and how you can

keep your home and family safeduring the season. CherokeeCounty Fire & Emergency Services

offers these tips to keep you safety duringthe fall season.

Wet LeavesRemove wet leaves from your sidewalks, the walkways leading to yourporch steps and the porch itself. Wet leaves can become slippery andpose a hazard. Always help older family members up and down outsidesteps and walking along wet sidewalks to help prevent injuries.

ChimneyHave your chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional prior tousing your fireplace for the fall. Any cracks in and around the base ofyour chimney could release carbon monoxide into as you are burning afire in the fireplace. A build-up of soot in the chimney itself could catchfire as the embers travel up the chimney. Also have the chimneyinspector look for any bird’s nests in the chimney opening that couldcatch fire or stop carbon monoxide from escaping out. As part of yourchimney maintenance, make sure all of the smoke and carbonmonoxide detectors in the house have fresh batteries and operateproperly.

Raking LeavesWhen raking leaves be sure to wear thick work gloves to protectagainst splinters from the rake handle, and from blisters on your hands.When you are lifting heavy bags full of wet leaves, use your knees tolift rather than your back to help prevent an injury.

Prepare for DarknessDuring the spring and summer it is easy to get used to leaving work inthe daylight, and doing weekend activities in natural light up untilalmost 9:00 p.m. As fall approaches, the daylight begins to dwindle, sohave a flashlight ready in your car in case of an emergency and carry asmall flashlight with you at all times.

Be Safe This Fall

Page 3The Fire Wire

Attending the training included: Front Row (left toright) Emily Barbee, Erin Church, Kyle Jones andSavannah Carmichael. Back Row (left to right):Evan Adamson, Kevin Jones, Sarah Buelow, Sgt.Babette Davis, Kelsey Bryant and Lukas Freeman.

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency ServicesOffers CPR and First Aid Training for 4-H’ers

A group of Cherokee County 4-H’ers recently took aCPR-AED-First Aid class at the Cherokee CountyFire Marshal’s Office. According to Sgt. BabetteDavis, a Cherokee County Fire Safety Educator, the4-H’ers spent a full day taking the course and areexpected to be recertified every 2 years.

The students learned how to respond to commonfirst aid emergencies including burns, cuts, head,neck and back injuries and more. They were alsoable to learn how to respond to cardiac andbreathing emergencies, including the use ofautomated external defibrillators (AED). Adult andinfant/child CPR options available

The 4-H’ers that took the course included: EmilyBarbee, Erin Church, Kyle Jones, SavannahCarmichael, Evan Adamson, Kevin Jones, SarahBuelow, Kelsey Bryant and Lukas Freeman.According to Ashley Witcher, Cherokee County’s 4HExtension Agent, “All of these kids are 4-H teenleaders, which means they have gone through our 4-

H leadership training and serve as leaders for younger 4-H’ers. They participate in local, district and stateevents as teen leaders.”

Our accomplishments are only made possible with the generous support of individualdonors, corporate partners, and the invaluable contributions of time, talent and resources ofmany dedicated volunteers. Your gifts, both large and small, will help us continue to achieveour mission.

Cherokee County Firefighters will be at area shopping centers collecting donations or youcan make a donation on-line by going to www.giveburnstheboot.org and click on “SupportYour Local Fire Department.”

Help Cherokee County FirefightersGive Burns the Boot!

Thanks for Your Help!

Page 4The Fire Wire

Ball Ground Volunteer Fire Department HostsLunch and Learn Meeting

Mike Smith, President of the Ball Ground VolunteerFire Department, speaks at the monthly meeting .

pull station. This would activate the siren, bringing all the volunteers to the station.”

The volunteers of today continue to play a vital role and they commit their time and resources, working withcareer members of the Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services, to provide for the personal safety andproperty preservation of the members of our community. Smith also said that all volunteer firefighters aretrained in fire suppression to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards through the GeorgiaPublic Safety Training Center and have First Responder medical training. In addition, the departmentprovides hands on training on a weekly basis throughout the year. Many members further their medicaltraining to become certified Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics on their own time andexpense.

Smith went on to say that the process for becoming a volunteer firefighter requires filling out an applicationfor membership which includes a background check by Cherokee County. Once all the paperwork has beencompleted with a favorable background check, the individual is voted on by the membership. Volunteers arerequired to complete mod 1 fire training course, or complete a First Responder course within one year ofbecoming a member.

Applicants can go to www.cherokeecountyfire.org to obtain an application and information on becoming avolunteer firefighter or contact Molly Childs with BGVFD at promisemjc@yahoo.com or by phone 678-849-5682.

Captain Chuck Foster also came forward to talked about how well the volunteers worked with the careerfirefighters. He also took a moment to introduce the firefighters who were on shift that day, too.

(continued on page 5)

The Ball Ground Volunteer Fire Department hostedthe monthly Lunch and Learn meeting for the BallGround Business and Community Association onWednesday, August 13th, at Fire Station #2.

After lunch and a short business meeting, MikeSmith, President of the Ball Ground Volunteer FireDepartment, came forward to welcome the visitorsand speak to the group about the fire department.According to Smith, “The Ball Ground Volunteer FireDepartment was founded in the 1950’s by a group ofconcerned citizens to protect the lives and propertyof their friends and neighbors. The BGVFD was thesecond volunteer station in Cherokee County tohave a two way radio. They were the first to have a

Page 5The Fire Wire

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services and Woodstock Fire andRescue held joint training last month at the Cherokee County FireTraining Complex.

Firefighters from both agencies have been involved with a rope rescuetraining course for the entire week with the completion being Saturdaywhen firefighters will be tested about what they have learned during thepast several days.

The firefighters have been introduced to the tools of the trade, plusthey have gone through several fire rescue scenarios at the multi-storyconcrete training tower that’s located on the training property.

Rope rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use ofnylon ropes, anchoring and rigging devices, rappel devices, and otherspecialized equipment to reach victims and safely recover them.

Both agencies require frequent training using various scenarios tomaintain personnel skills in equipment and rescue techniques.Training exercises like this keep firefighters prepared for a real rescueemergency.

Fire Departments Work Together inRope Rescue Training

(continued from page 4)After the meeting, members of the Ball Ground Business and Community Association toured Fire Station #2in Ball Ground. Firefighters were also available to show the members some of the apparatus and tools thatare needed to fight fire.

Ball Ground Volunteer Fire Department HostsLunch and Learn Meeting

Captain Chuck Foster also came forward to speak tothe group.

There were several who attended the meeting thatwas held at Fire Station #2 in Ball Ground.

Page 6The Fire Wire

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services RemindsResidents: Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives!

Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a fire. That’s the message behind this year’sFire Prevention Week campaign, “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!”

Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services isjoining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week,October 5-11, to remind local residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the homeand testing them monthly.

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half.Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or noworking smoke alarms.

“In a fire, seconds count,” said Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather. “Roughly half of home fire deathsresult from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smokealarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign includes the following smoke alarm messages:Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t respond properly.Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and understands what to do when they hear it.

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services reminds residents during Fire Prevention Week that “WorkingSmoke Alarms Save Lives!”To find out more about smoke alarms, please contact the fire educators at the Cherokee County FireMarshal’s office. To learn more about smoke alarms and “Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives”, visit NFPA’swebsite at www.firepreventionweek.org.

Page 7The Fire Wire

Chief Erdely Recognized by His Peers

Attending the presentation for Chief Erdely were (Back row - left toright) – Lt. Scott Gwinn, Sgt. Bradley McDonald, Sgt. Nathan Baum,Cody Collett, Chief Erdely, Scott Tifton, Sgt. Ashley Adams, Lt. GregReece, and Sgt. Benjy Pearson. (Front row – left to right) – Sgt. ChrisMartin, Casey Cannon, Jonathan Gottfried, Sgt. Bryan Thomas,Andrew Kane, Capt. Shannon Gibbs, and Benjamin Kiefer.

Greg Erdely, Operations Chief forCherokee County Fire andEmergency Services, wasrecognized by his peers on July18th when they presented himwith a new fire helmet. Severalfirefighters from Battalion 1 BShift, Erdely’s previous Battalion,gathered at the Cherokee CountyFire Training Complex to make thepresentation.

Lt. Greg Reece, spokesman forthe group, thanked Erdely for hisleadership and for being a mentorfor many of the firefighters withinthe fire department. Chief Erdelysaid that he was very appreciativefor all the hard work that thesefirefighters have done which hasbeen very beneficial for him get to his current position. “A good leader is only as good as the people thatwork with them. I feel that we have the best firefighters and the best fire department in the country,” saidErdely

Chief Erdely came to work for Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services in May of 1995. He becamea Battalion Chief for thedepartment in 2005. In 2013,Chief Erdely was promoted to theposition of Field Operations Chief.

PHOTO AT LEFT - CherokeeCounty Field Operations Chief,Greg Erdely (left), looks at his newhelmet while Benjy Pearson andother firefighters applaud the chieffor his leadership.

Page 8The Fire Wire

Be Safe This HalloweenHalloween is an exciting time for children, but the excitement of the night cancause us to forget about being careful. If you play it safe, Halloween can be areal treat for the entire family. The major dangers are not from ghost andgoblins, but rather from falls and pedestrian/car crashes. Many towns andcommunities in Cherokee County officially designate a night and assignspecific hours for trick-or-treat activities.

According to Tim Prather, Cherokee County Fire Chief, “Both childrenand adults need to think about safety on this annual night of trick-or-treating.” The Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services urgeseveryone to play it safe this Halloween by following these important safety rules.

Motorists should be alert and aware of their surroundings:Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.Enter and exit driveways carefully.During the evening hours, watch for children in dark clothing.

Before children start out on their “trick or treat” rounds, parents should:Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children underage 12.Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children’scompanions.Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter astranger’s home.Establish a return time.Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.Pin a slip of paper with the child’s name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case theyoungster gets separated from his/her group.

When preparing or selecting your child’s costume, remember these safety suggestions:Only fire-retardant materials should be used for costumes.Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. (Falls are the leading cause ofunintentional injuries on Halloween).During the evening hours, costumes should be made with light colored materials. Reflective tapeshould be used to make children visible.Masks can obstruct a child’s vision. Use facial make-up instead.If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth opening and large eye holes.Accessories, like knives or swords, should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allowchildren to carry sharp objects.Trick-or-treat bags should be light colored or trimmed with reflective tape.Carrying flashlights will help children see better and be seen more clearly.