The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department, for the eighth consecutive year, has been recognized as one of Tennessee’s elite fire departments for outstanding training achievement.
Of the 732 fire departments in Tennessee, both volunteer and paid, the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department ranks # 31 for 2015-16 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, the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department ranks # 4.
Last year, the department was the 3rd ranked volunteer fire department in Tennessee for training hours. This year, the department logged 2,012 training hours at the state fire academy and was recognized as a Gold Level fire department in Tennessee for 2015-16. Jeff Elliot, Fire Service Program 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 continuing to make the 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 eighth 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,” said Mayor Stribling.
Chief Donny Green said he wants to personally commend Assistant 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 the training program as one of the best in the state; volunteer or career. In addition to the 2,012 hours at the Academy, Assistant Chief Agee coordinated just over 3,000 hours of “in-house” training.
Chief Green said that without the support of County Mayor Tim Stribling, the County Commission, the families of the 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,” said Chief Green. Training performance and documentation are core elements in the Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) property protection that determine how much property owners have to pay in homeowners insurance premiums. The DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s proven success has resulted in a dramatic improvement to DeKalb County’s Public Protection Classification Rating of Class 6 for all areas of DeKalb County located within 5 road miles of one of the department’s 11 stations.
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 the team, 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
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