Of the 732 fire departments in Tennessee, both volunteer and paid, DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 6 for 2012-13 training achievement by the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Considering the ranking among volunteer departments in the state, DeKalb County Fire Department ranks # 1 (complete listing of recognized departments shown below).
This is the fifth consecutive year DeKalb County Fire Department has been recognized as one of Tennessee’s elite fire departments for outstanding training achievement. Last year, the department was awarded the Silver Level Award and was the #2 volunteer fire department in Tennessee for training hours. This year, the department logged 3,306 training hours and was recognized as a Gold Level fire department in Tennessee for its 2012-13 training efforts. Roger Hawks, Executive Director of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, attended the DeKalb County Commission Meeting on Tuesday evening and made the formal elite award presentation to DeKalb County. Accepting the award on behalf of the county fire department were (pictured above left to right: Assistant Chief Jeff Williams; Lieutenant David Agee; Roger Hawks, Executive Director of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy; Captain Anthony Boyd; and Lieutenant Jay Cantrell)
DeKalb County Mayor Mike Foster commended the department’s members and leaders for making DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s training program such a huge success. “It is amazing to see the level of commitment that we continue to get 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 fifth consecutive year makes it very clear that we have an excellent group of men and women who are willing to do whatever it takes to be prepared to respond to the emergency needs of our citizens,” says Mayor Foster.
Chief Donny Green says he wants to personally commend Lieutenant David Agee, the department’s Training Officer for his determination in planning and coordinating the department’s training activities in a manner that identifies our training program as one of top in the state; volunteer or career. In addition to the 3,306 hours at the Academy, Lieutenant Agee coordinated 2,237 hours in “in-house” training. Chief Green says that without the support of County Mayor Mike Foster, the County Commission, and the citizens of DeKalb County, the department could not have achieved such 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 a 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.
Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy’s
Elite Club 2012-13
Platinum
Bradley County Fire Department 18,900 Hours
Rural/Metro Fire Department 6,864
Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue 4,450
McMinnville Fire Department 4,019
Gold
Lebanon Fire Department 3,308
DeKalb County Fire Department 3,306
Rutherford County Fire & Rescue 3,222
Morristown Fire Department 3,054
Nashville Fire Department 2,985
Johnson City Fire Department 2,937
Oak Ridge Fire Department 2,628
Montgomery County VFD E-911 2,464
Putnam County VFD 2,436
Wilson County EMA 2,234
Hendersonville Fire Department 2,223
Gallatin Fire Department 2,183
Andersonville VFD 2,095
Hardin County Fire Department 2,011
Silver
Elizabethton Fire Department 1,874
Jefferson City Fire Department 1,861
Athens Fire Department (City of) 1,859
Cookeville Fire Department 1,857
Milan Fire Department 1,709
Cumberland County FD 1,600
Germantown Fire Department 1,521
Clarksville Fire & Rescue 1,508
Shelbyville Fire Department 1,486
Selmer Fire Department 1,427
Greeneville Fire Department 1,303
Blount County Fire Department 1,281
Humboldt Fire Dept. 1,216
McMinn County Rural Fire Department 1,120
Seymour Volunteer Fire Department 1,077
Cocke County Fire Department 1,059
Rhea County Fire Department 1,028
Smyrna Fire Department 1,025
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