"News" in the world of Public Safety...
If you have any "news" to add email dennis@offdutynetwork.com
January 2009
January 28
As a follow up to the previous e-mail about an incident in Troup County last weekend, here is what we know. Early Saturday morning while operating at a house fire a Troup County FF received a gun shot wound to the chest. The round discharged from a gun left loaded inside the house. The FF was treated and released from Grady and is now recovering at home. It is unknown how long he will be out.
January 27
Good morning everyone! Many of you have asked about how to get the current membership form for joining FOOLS. The attached form is for the International. You can send it directly to the address on the form if you would like or you can send it to me if you have cash instead of a check. I DO NEED A COPY EITHER WAY so I can keep track of our membership. You can email a copy or snail mail a copy whichever you chose. We do not currently have a form for our chapter. I hope to have one out to you by the end of the week with details to go along with it. Click here for the membership form
On another note, I would like to introduce our newest member of the E-Board. Richard Carnigan from Barrow Co. FD will be our trustee over the internet site. Richard is stepping up to the plate in a big way taking this on, so when you all see him, make sure that you "take care of him"!
Once our website is up and going, each E-Board member will have their own email address that you can send requests, concerns, questions, etc... to. Until then, you can send them to here and I will forward them to the appropriate board member.
At the bottom of this page is also a link to the Metro Atlanta FOOLS online forum. This is just one more way that we will have to stay in touch with each other. Our goal here is to keep as many lines of communication open as possible. This has been an issue in the past. It will not be in the future. Click the link and sign up. One or two of these means of communication might go away at a later date. Be for sure that this email account and our new upcoming website will be around for years to come. This level of excitement in FOOLS has not been around for years. This is a great time to be one of those FOOLS!!!
Chris Holcombe
Treasurer/Secretary
Metro Atlanta FOOLS
January 25
Tim McGlon (Marietta Fire) was transported to Kennestone this morning from station 53 with chest pains around 0830. He is doing well right now and has been admitted for some testing to see what is going on. Please keep him in your prayers.
Tim is doing well and is Blue Tower room 602. The doctors will have some test result Sunday AM.
An update on Tim. Just visited with him a few minutes ago and he seems to be in good spirits. He is having some problems with an elevated heart rate when not medicated and will probably have a stress test on Monday to determine what the next step will be. Continue to keep Tim and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Still in Blue tower #602.
January 25
A Troup County firefighter was
flown to Grady around 01:30 Saturday morning. The firefighter apparently
sustained injuries while fighting a house fire near LaGrange. The Troup County
Fire Chief and the firefighter'
January 5
Jarrett Little (Walker County Fire) Funeral
scroll down to see video
January 5
John Dobbins retired Assistant Chief of Marietta Fire passed away today. Please keep the Dobbins family in your thoughts and prayers. A/C Dobbins was hired 11-21-55 and retired 5-1-84, his son Scott Dobbins is a Captain with Marietta Fire.
Viewing for John Dobbins will be on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, from 2 to 4 pm, and 6 to 8 pm at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta. Funeral services will be Wednesday January 7, 2009, at 11 am, at New Providence Baptist Church in East Cobb.
This is a link to a map to the "New Providence Baptist Church" for the funeral service for A/C John Dobbins to be held on Jan 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM.
January 2
Staff Sergeant Shawn Meadows was seriously injured on Thursday, July 31, 2008 when his military unit was ambushed while serving in Iraq. Shawn lost both legs, went through numerous surgeries and months of rehab. Shawn has made great progress and is walking with prosthetic legs.
Shawn’s stepfather is a Lieutenant for us at Gwinnett Fire and his mom works for Gwinnett Police. We have been involved honoring the men from Gwinnett that made the final journey home fighting for our freedom and protecting us from terrorism. However, this time we had the privilege and honor to escort Shawn home to his family and show him how much we appreciate what the men and women of the military are doing for us.
Shawn received a police escort from Hartsfield-Jackson to his home near Athens. Below is a link to a video on You Tube shot by a Gwinnett PD officer. It’s worth the time to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2eQZRA5F9s
January 2
Press Release
Friday, Walker County Emergency Services along with the family of fallen firefighter, Jarrett Little, announced that funeral services for the 24 year old would occur Sunday at the Walker County Civic Center in Rock Spring beginning around 3 p.m. “Jarrett will be given full fire department rights,” said Walker County Emergency Services Chief Randy Camp. The funeral is expected to be attended by fire department details from all over the region. “This will be a joint service conducted by both the Walker County Emergency Services and the Fort Oglethorpe Fire Department,” Camp said. Little was active in the Fort Oglethorpe Fire Department as a volunteer where other members of his immediate family serve. “Jarrett was very caring and compassionate,” Camp explained. “This was not just a job to Jarrett. Some people only work to live, but Jarrett lived to work. This was a calling for this young man.” The family will receive visitation on Saturday at the Heritage Funeral Home on Battlefield Parkway in Fort Oglethorpe from 2 to 8 p.m. “This was a terrible accident,” Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said. “Jarrett was a wonderful young man who was very committed to protecting the families of Walker County through his work with Walker County Emergency Services.” Little died Wednesday night after the fire truck he was driving wrecked in route to a fire on Wilson Road in north Walker County.Little was driving a freightliner fire engine, which overturned while making a left turn from Mission Ridge Road onto McFarland Avenue in Rossville. Little was responding to the blaze from the Chickamauga Fire Station where he had recently been transferred. Little had been working with the Walker County Emergency Services as a full time firefighter out of a LaFayette post for about the last year. However, he had prior experience with Walker County as one of the very first full-time firefighters it hired a few years ago. Prior to his return to Walker County, Little worked briefly in Catoosa County for the post office in Ringgold. According to the accident report, the wreck on Wednesday occurred around 11 p.m.
The truck overturned and hit a power pole. Two other firefighters, Matt Mills and Adam Lozano, were taken to Erlanger, and both were released Thursday morning. Little is the first Walker County firefighter to die in the line of duty. All donations should be directed through the Walker County Emergency Services at 706-764-1900.
The family of Jarrett Little has requested apparatus from all interested departments to be involved in an apparatus procession from Heritage Funeral Home (3239 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 30742) following Highway 27 to the Walker County Civic Center (10052 North Highway 27, Rock Spring, Georgia, 30739).
Apparatus participating in the procession should arrive at Heritage Funeral Home no earlier than 1300 hours on Sunday. The procession will leave at 1430 hours. The procession will be for chief vehicles and fire apparatus only. NO PERSONAL VEHICLES will be in the procession. Apparatus will stage in the funeral home parking lot. Once the lot is full, apparatus should stage in the west bound lane of Battlefield Parkway. Once this lane is full, overflow parking will be in the Wal-Mart parking lot (across the street). Personnel in civilian vehicles should proceed directly to the Walker County Civic Center where the procession will end and the funeral service will be held.
After the service, there will be a reception held for WCES personnel and Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue personnel with the Little family.
If you have any additional information, please feel free to contact Walker County Fire Deputy Chief Paul Linder at 423-421-2910. Radio call sign - Walker 101
Questions regarding the procession should be directed to Fort Oglethorpe Fire Batt Chief Doug Flury at 423-421-2157. Radio Call sign - FO 907
January 1
Walker County Fire LODD
Last night Wed Dec 31 around 10:45 Walker County Engine 6 was responding to a reported structure fire when the operator lost control and E6 rolled over. The operator Jarred Little died at the scene due to injuries he received. He was a career firefighter and was just assigned to E6 which became a full staffed station on Dec 31 to provide coverage due to an reorganization in preparation for Walker County to start their new ALS EMS coverage on Jan 1. Jarred began his career and was currently still an active volunteer in Fort Oglethorpe. Please keep Jarred’s family in your prayers as well as Walker County F&R as we deal with this loss. Walker County F&R was created in the early 90s from several depts. that were serving the county at the time and this is their only and hopefully last LODD.
More information to follow...