Firefighters from 143 fire departments across the state gathered at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth over the weekend for the 11th Annual Georgia State Firefighter Weekend, hosted by the Georgia Fire Academy (GFA). More than 300 firefighters, many of of whom were volunteer firefighters, attended the event, which was provided to help dedicated fire service personnel better prepare themselves and their communities to prevent and fight fire.
“There are thousands of volunteer firefighters in Georgia who selflessly devote their time and effort to protect the communities they serve, and it is imperative that those volunteers obtain training in the newest techniques and that they have access to refresher courses,” said GFA Division Director David Wall. “I commend the firefighters and instructors who participated in this weekend’s training for their honorable service to the citizens of the great state of Georgia.”
The 11th Annual Georgia State Firefighter Weekend kicked off on Saturday, March 16 and continued through Sunday, March 17. Participants in the weekend’s training attend classes that provided updates on firefighting including pipeline emergencies, structural fire control, interior search and rescue, firefighter self-rescue techniques, and mayday operations. The courses consisted of hands-on, skills-building scenarios as well as classroom training in the subject areas of pressurized container fire control, fire prevention, incident reporting, firefighter rehabilitation, medical monitoring, fireground tactics and more.
On Saturday, March 16, the GFA also hosted its annual Georgia Firefighter Memorial Ceremony, in recognition of the firefighters killed in the line of duty the year before. “This year we are celebrating because in 2012, for the first time in more than a decade, there were no line-of-duty deaths reported in the state of Georgia.” said Wall. “Firefighting is an inherently dangerous job, whether it is performed by career or volunteer firefighters. It is through quality training that our profession can reduce line-of-duty deaths,” explained Wall.
“I am proud that GPSTC can offer training that accommodates the demanding schedule of Georgia’s volunteer firefighters, who work full time jobs in addition to serving their communities as volunteers,” said GPSTC Executive Director Tim Bearden. “The skills they learn this weekend will undoubtedly save lives and make our state a safer place to live.”