The Camden County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) 2020 County Excellence Award for the Camden County Fire Rescue Recruitment/Firefighter Training Program.
In collaboration with Georgia Trend magazine, ACCG hosted the 2020 County Excellence Awards to recognize counties that have taken innovative and cost-effective approaches to solving local issues. This year’s program recognized innovative county initiatives in the areas of health care, infrastructure and transportation, public safety, sustainability, and technology. More information on Camden County’s program will be featured in the June issue of Georgia Trend magazine.
“County officials are constantly developing new programs and initiatives to meet the needs of their citizens,” said Dave Wills, ACCG’s Executive Director. “The recipients of the 2020 Georgia County Excellence Awards are a direct reflection of the innovation that occurs in county government in order to meet those needs and address community challenges.”
“We are so proud of this program,” said Commission Chairman, Jimmy Starline. “This has been an excellent way for us to grow new talent in our department and save taxpayer dollars.”
County Administrator Steve Howard added, “I commend the leadership of Chief Smith and the Camden County Fire Rescue team on the recognition of their award-winning initiative.”
Since 2018, Camden County Fire Rescue (CCFR) has graduated over 30 new firefighters through their Firefighter Training Program. This 10-week intensive training program is designed to allow firefighter recruits to pass the Firefighter I test. As the program has progressed, more recent recruit classes have also included an Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B) course.
“One of the best parts of this program is watching the growth of the recruits,” said Camden County Fire Rescue Chief, Terry Smith. “It is wonderful to see how the recruits learn not only throughout the course, but in the start of their careers and as they continue to work in the fire service.”
In March twelve members of Recruit Class 2020-04 completed their Basic Firefighter requirements, including three recruits from Kingsland Fire Rescue (KFR). Logon Field, Shaun Gibson, Jacob Hawk, Jamie Hill, Austin Massey, Ronald Milton, Nicholas Nungesser, Ben Parrott, Erik Peterson, Dustin Shattuck, Alexander Simmons, and Michelle Thompson were recognized at a graduation ceremony held Tuesday, March 10, 2020.
For more information about future recruit classes, please contact Camden County Fire Rescue Headquarters at 912-729-3911.
From Left: Chief Terry Smith, Shaun Gibson (KFR), Ronald Milton, Austin Massey (KFR), Logon Field, Nicholas Nungesser, Alexander Simmons, Jacob Hawk (KFR), Erik Peterson, Dustin Shattuck, Ben Parrott, Jamie Hill, Michelle Thompson, and Operations Chief Lisa Boyett