Walker County Fire Chief Blake Hodge Receives Executive Fire Officer Designation

Posted on by Joe Legge

LaFayette, GA – Walker County Fire Chief Blake Hodge received local and state recognition during last night’s Commissioner meeting.

Hodge successfully completed the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy’s four year Executive Fire Officer Program. The EFOP focuses on leadership development, lifelong learning, being proactive instead of reactive and utilizing research and analytics to reduce risk, among other skills.

Chief Hodge is one of only 72 Executive Fire Officers in the state of Georgia.

Along with a local proclamation to recognize this accomplishment, Chief Hodge received a proclamation from Georgia’s Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner for the county’s campaign to install smoke alarms in every home in Walker County at no expense to citizens.  305 smoke alarms have been install so far in 2019.

Ironman Foundation and Walker County Team Up to Provide Emergency Resources to Local Community

Posted on by Joe Legge

Tampa, FL/LaFayette, GA – The IRONMAN Foundation® will provide a $160,000 grant over the course of five years to Walker County, Georgia in advance of the Sunbelt Bakery IRONMAN® 70.3® Chattanooga presented by McKee: A Family Bakery on May 19 and the Little Debbie IRONMAN® Chattanooga presented by McKee: A Family Bakery on September 29. The community grant will help install 40 new fire hydrants in needed locations, providing additional coverage for Walker County, Georgia first responders to handle emergency situationsfirst responders to handle emergency situations.

“It is the mission of the IRONMAN Foundation to create positive, tangible impact in our race communities through grant funding and volunteerism,” said Sarah Hartmann, Executive Director of the IRONMAN Foundation. “With this partnership, we are able to directly impact the safety of Walker County residents. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Walker County and honored to support the community.”

“We are honored and delighted to continue hosting IRONMAN events in Walker County,” said Shannon Whitfield, Walker County Commissioner. “This prestigious and global event provides us with an outstanding opportunity to showcase our beautiful county. We appreciate our IRONMAN partners making this investment in our community.”

IRONMAN athletes will experience the beauty of Walker County as they ride through the area on the bike course for both Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery and Sunbelt Bakery IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery. This bike course was voted as one of the top 10 courses on both the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 global circuit in the 2017 and 2018 Athlete Choice Awards.

“IRONMAN provides a valuable economic benefit to Walker County far beyond just this investment,” added Robert Wardlaw, Economic & Community Development Director for Walker County. “We have already enjoyed numerous return visits from previous IRONMAN athletes who eat, shop and stay in Walker County. They have all discovered why Walker Rocks!”

The IRONMAN Foundation Community Fund provides community and volunteerism grant opportunities to non-profit organizations where IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series® events are held. This year’s grant funding brings the total giveback to more than $633,000 in the Chattanooga and North Georgia regions. In 2019 the IRONMAN Foundation will distribute more than $1.7 million in grant funding to support the needs of IRONMAN race communities across North America.

For more information on IRONMAN and the IRONMAN Foundation, please visit www.ironman.com and www.ironmanfoundation.org.

About Walker County, Georgia

Walker County, GA is part of the thriving Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA, featuring a population of more than 68,000 people.  The county, formed in 1833, is also home to some of the most scenic and stunning outdoor adventure destinations in the Southeast, including Rock City, Lula Lake and Pettyjohn’s Cave.  The county boasts a labor force in excess of 31,000 workers with nearly 39% of local jobs in the service industry. To learn more, visit: walkercountyga.gov and walkerrocks.com.

About the IRONMAN Foundation 

The IRONMAN Foundation® creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through IRONMAN charitable giveback programs including the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 7,800 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series athletes are powerfully linked to the community and together we leave the IRONMAN legacy behind in our race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.

About IRONMAN 

As part of Wanda Sports Holdings, the IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, trail running like Ultra-Trail Australia™, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 230 events across 53 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Wanda Sports Holdings 

Wanda Sports Holdings is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.

Walker County Maintains 3/3Y ISO Rating

Posted on by Joe Legge

LaFayette, GA – Walker County maintained a 3/3Y ISO rating following a rigorous review of fire services in the unincorporated areas of the county and city of Chickamauga.

The 3/3Y classification by the Insurance Service Office will benefit homeowners and business owners.  Insurance companies use ISO ratings in their calculations to determine insurance rates in a community.

“This validates all the hard work being done by our team to improve fire service in Walker County, while reinforcing the fact that our efforts provide a financial savings too,” said Chief Blake Hodge.  “These surveys take a lot of time and effort to coordinate. It’s not easy to attain this mark.”

The ISO evaluation looked at all aspects of the fire department, including equipment, manpower, training, number of stations and response times.  ISO also evaluated area water authorities, 911 communications, public education, fire prevention efforts, code enforcement and inspections, among other areas.

Walker County received high marks for communications, water supply, fire hydrants and firefighter training.

ISO rates communities one on a scale of 1 to 10.  A lower number means fire service in a given area is better equipped to put out a fire and save a home or business.  The ISO 3 rating, which is good for four years, places Walker County in the Top 12% in the nation for fire protection, ahead of more than 37,800 other cities and counties.

Two Hikers Rescued from Swift Moving Water in Walker County

Posted on by Joe Legge

Villanow, GA – First responders in Walker County rescued two men this morning trapped by the swift moving waters of East Armuchee Creek.

Firefighters with Walker County Fire Rescue and the Georgia Department of Corrections, along with deputies from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a call for help at 8:49 a.m. coming from the Chattahoochee National Forest.  Emergency crews arrived to find two men stranded by rising water near Manning Mill Road and East Armchuee Road.

Firefighters set up a high line cable system across the creek and attached to it using a quick release rescue vest.  Additional rescuers were positioned upstream to spot debris and downstream in the event a secondary rescue was needed.  Rescuers then pulled the two hikers across the water to safety.  No injuries occurred during the rescue, which took about 55 minutes to complete.

The two men had gone hiking Tuesday with the intent of leaving the forest before sundown.  They attempted to cross the creek in their truck last night, but deemed it unsafe.  Due to spotty cell service in the area, they were unable to call for help until this morning.

Walker County Fire Victims Remembered at Georgia State Capitol

Posted on by Joe Legge

Atlanta, GA – The annual swearing in ceremony for Fire Marshals and Fire Inspectors at the Georgia State Capitol took on new meaning this year for Walker County Fire Marshal Paul Linder.  The State Fire Marshal’s Office displays shoes on the Capitol steps to represent the lives lost to fire during the previous year.  This time, five of those pairs of shoes were from Walker County, including one pair representing a 12-year old girl.

Fire Marshal Linder wondered how many of those fatalities might have been prevented by working smoke alarms.  The State Fire Marshal’s Office held the shocking answer.  In 2018, there were 83 fatal house fires across Georgia.  Only four of the 83 fatal fires had working smoke alarms.

Walker County Fire Rescue recently doubled its efforts to promote its free smoke alarm program with public service announcements, a billboard and neighborhood installation blitz along Dry Valley Road, where four of the five local fatalities occurred in 2018.  Only 21 smoke alarms were installed in 2017.  In 2018, the number increased to 228.  One month into 2019 and nearly 90 smoke alarms have already been installed.

Linder hopes one day when he attends the swearing in ceremony, there won’t be any shoes on the Capitol steps.  Do your part by calling 706-539-1255 and requesting a free smoke alarm installation or by sharing this information with friends and loved ones.

Also in attendance from Walker County to be sworn in was Jeffrey Roerdink, our new Fire Inspector.  Roerdink recertified through the Georgia Fire Academy this month.

 

 

Walker Fire Rescue & American Red Cross Plan Smoke Alarm Blitz

Posted on by Joe Legge

Rossville, GA – Walker County Fire Rescue and the American Red Cross of Northwest Georgia will be going door to door on February 2nd to improve fire safety in the Chattanooga Valley community.  Teams will be canvassing the Dry Valley Road area to install smoke alarms at no charge, conduct a home safety survey and identify potential hazards in the home.

Four people died in two unrelated fire incidents on Dry Valley Road last year.  Fire investigators did not find working smoke alarms in either home.

“Our greatest obstacle with our free smoke alarm program is getting people to sign up,” said Chief Blake Hodge.  “In my 25 year career, I have not worked a residential structure fire that resulted in serious injury or death, when there were operating smoke alarms present.  Smoke alarms save lives!”

Walker County launched a public service campaign last year that resulted in firefighters installing 228 smoke alarms.  Only 21 smoke alarms were installed in 2017.  “With over 68,000 residents, it’s important to diversify our communication efforts and approach, so this information gets to all our citizens,” added Chief Hodge.  “We hope by adding this one-day blitz, we can increase participation.”

Volunteer opportunities are available for community members who would like to be part of this home fire preparedness campaign.  To learn more or to register, contact the American Red Cross of Northwest Georgia at 706-728-3424 or email Carla Maton at carla.maton@redcross.org.

Any Walker County resident in need of free smoke alarms should contact Walker County Fire Rescue at 706-539-1255.

How Walker Works – Free Smoke Alarm Program

Posted on by Joe Legge

While most people associate Walker County Fire Rescue with fighting fires and emergency response, the department also actively works to prevent fires.  Regina Dorsey, Life & Fire Safety Educator said, “Because we want to save lives. That’s just the bottom line. We want to save property, but we want to save lives.”

Along with visits to schools and community events, building inspections and safety training for local businesses, this County department also offers a free smoke alarm program.  “We’re going to go out to your home. We’re going to do a home safety survey and we’re going to make sure you don’t have any hazards in your house and we’ll put up the smoke alarms that they need. It’s just that easy,” said Dorsey.

Smoke alarms are given out and installed for free.  There are no income restrictions.  You just have to make the call to receive a potentially life saving device.  Dorsey said, “If you need them, we will come install ours. If you have them, can afford to buy them and you have them, we’ll come install them for you. If you don’t need to climb on a ladder because you’re elderly, we’ll do that for you.”

In 2018, Walker County Fire Rescue worked 89 building fires.  Tragically, two of those incidents resulted in fatalities and fire investigators did not find working smoke alarms in those homes.  Dorsey added, “The ones we have are good for 10 years, they have a sealed battery. You don’t have to change the battery. All you have to do is push the button once a month and test them and make sure they are working. If your smoke alarms aren’t working, you may as well not have them.”

Walker County firefighters installed 228 smoke alarms in 2018.  If you need one, make the call, make the call — dial 706-539-1255.  The life you save may be your own.

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Fatal House Fire this Afternoon in Walker County

Posted on by Joe Legge

Rossville, GA – A fatal house fire this afternoon on Dry Valley Road in Walker County claimed the lives of two people.

Firefighters with Walker County Emergency Services (WCES) received a call at 2:14 p.m. concerning a fire at 1477 Dry Valley Road. Eight units responded to the scene and found flames coming from the home, which was roughly 30% involved.

Fire officials say the two victims were located in a heavily burned section of the home. Their bodies will be sent to the GBI crime lab for autopsy, which is standard procedure. The names of the victims are not being released at this time.

The Walker County Fire Marshal, along with the state Fire Marshal, are investigating the cause of the blaze, which is currently undetermined. Fire investigators did not find any working smoke detectors in the unburnt section of the home.

Teddy Bears to Help Answer Emergency Calls Involving Children in Walker County

Posted on by Joe Legge

Rock Spring, GA – Fire trucks in Walker County are now transporting a furry friend to the scene of a traumatic event involving a child.

Walker County Emergency Services (WCES) recently received a donation of 30 teddy bears from State Farm Agent Mike Herndon and his team in Rock Spring.  The bears have been distributed to every career fire station in Walker County for firefighters to give to children during an emergency situation, like a wreck or fire.

“Teddy bears can provide a sense of comfort and security during a turbulent time,” said Fire Chief Blake Hodge.  “I hope these friendly faces will remind our youngest patients that the community cares about their wellbeing and make a scary situation a little less frightening.”

Along with the bears, Herndon donated 150 sets of coloring books and crayons for WCES’ Fire Prevention and Education Department to be used in local schools and daycares.

Tennessee American Water Awards Firefighting Support Grant to WCES

Posted on by Joe Legge

Chickamauga, GA – Tennessee American Water awarded a $500 Firefighting Support Grant to Walker County Emergency Services (WCES).

The funds will be used to purchase the ExamView computerized testing module to assist in the training and preparation of WCES firefighters. The module will generate random exam questions needed for new firefighter training, continuing education and promotional testing.

WCES operates 19 fire stations, serving over 68,000 residents in a 462 square mile area.

Pictured are Deputy Chief Nathan Farrow, Crystal Woods, Chief Blake Hodge, Drew Watson and Adam Chrnalogar from Tennessee American Water, Sgt. Caleb McRae and Lt. Dan Mims