DeKalb Fire Department Receives Elite Award for 2014-15 Training Achievements

The DeKalb County Fire Department has received an elite award for 2014-15 Training Achievements
Of the 732 fire departments in Tennessee, both volunteer and paid, DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 36 for 2014-15 training achievement by the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Considering the ranking among departments that operate with 100% volunteer staff in the state, DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 3
This is the seventh consecutive year the DeKalb County Fire Department has been recognized as one of Tennessee’s elite fire departments for outstanding training achievement. Last year, the department was the #2 volunteer fire department in Tennessee for training hours. This year, the department logged 1,394 training hours at the state fire academy and was recognized as a Silver Level fire department in Tennessee for 2014-15. Roger Hawks, Executive Director of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, presented the department with a Certificate of Training Achievement.
DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling commended the department’s members and leaders for making DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s training program such a huge success. “Our county takes great pride in the level of commitment and service that we continue to see year after year from our volunteer firefighters who work hard and train hard to make sure our citizens have good fire protection here in DeKalb County. Getting this kind of statewide recognition for the seventh consecutive year makes it very clear that we have an excellent group of committed men and women who sacrifice many hours to be prepared to respond to the emergency needs of our citizens,” says Mayor Stribling.
Chief Donny Green says he wants to personally commend Assistance Chief David Agee, the department’s Training Officer, for his leadership in planning and coordinating the department’s training activities in a manner that spotlights our training program as one of top in the state; volunteer or career. In addition to the 1,394 hours at the Academy, Assistance Chief Agee coordinated 3,636 hours of in “in-house” training. Chief Green says that without the support of County Mayor Tim Stribling, the County Commission, the families of our volunteer firefighters, and the citizens of DeKalb County, the department could not have achieved such prestigious recognition. “Properly trained firefighters are the best tools available to any fire department. Without proper training, the best and most expensive equipment is useless. However, good training coupled with good equipment is priceless,” says Chief Green. Training performance and documentation are core elements in the Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) property protection that determine how much property owner’s have to pay in homeowners insurance premiums. The DeKalb County Fire Department’s proven success has resulted in a dramatic improvement to DeKalb County’s Public Protection Classification Rating of Class 6.
If you are interested in learning more about the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, or would like information on how to be a member of our team and become a volunteer firefighter, you can visit the Department’s website at: www.dekalbfire.com, or call 615-464-7176. You can also visit the Department’s FaceBook group page.