By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
Since January, The Gorham-Fayette Fire Department has responded to a total of 238 calls. Among these, there were 206 rescue operations, 28 fire-related incidents, and four miscellaneous incidents.
Notably, they have received 128 calls from the village, 52 from Gorham Township, 27 from Franklin Township, 19 from Chesterfield Township, and 11 mutual aid calls from outside their coverage area.
The department’s focus has been on team rebuilding and recovery from challenging callouts. They are grateful for the overwhelming support from the community, including generous donations and food deliveries to the station.
This year, their trustees acquired a used 3,500-gallon tender with a 2,000-gallons-per-minute pump from Pennsylvania. The estimated cost for a new tender of this caliber would have been over a million dollars, with a 2 to 3-year wait time.
This acquisition has positioned Fayette’s tender as one of the largest in Fulton County, significantly enhancing the department’s ability to provide mutual aid to surrounding departments.
The department has conducted various community training programs, including a CPR course designed exclusively for women and initiatives targeted at senior citizens.
The department comprises 29 members with certifications spanning from Fire 1 and Fire 2 to EMS certifications, such as Paramedics, Advanced EMTs, and EMTs. The department has also received five new member applications, and 90% of the EMTs are certified as Advanced EMTs.
They have plans to host several events, including one focused on Smoke Alarms on August 10th, in collaboration with a company named Board It Up, and another event on the History Tour of Fayette on October 6th.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who have generously extended donations to our department, as these contributions directly support equipment and training.”
“Furthermore, we wish to recognize the positive and proactive attitude displayed by each team member, which has been instrumental in driving continual improvement within our department.”
“This station, one of the oldest functioning stations in Fulton County, has been undergoing renovations by our members.”
“We are thankful for the unwavering support of our community and the collaboration we have cultivated with surrounding departments through joint training and cooperative endeavors.”
“We invite you to attend our upcoming events, which are scheduled for August 3 at the park after the Bull Thistle parade and October 10th at our station. Additionally, during the history tour of Fayette on October 6th, we welcome your visit to our station” said Fire Chief Tom Franks.
Should you express interest in joining the Fayette Fire & Rescue Department, please feel free to collect an application form from the office and consider becoming a part of their dedicated team.