Wednesday, July 3, 2002
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Wednesday, July 3, 2002 |
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PTC short on fire volunteers By JOHN MUNFORD
Help Wanted: must be able to carry 75 pounds and drag 100 pounds. Respect of fire helpful but not necessary. Must be willing to risk life to save others. Oh, and can you work days? Apply at the Peachtree City Fire Department. The fire department, which began as a strictly volunteer operation before the population boom years ago, is now in serious need of daytime volunteer help, according to officials. With most residents commuting to work outside the city, there aren't many volunteer firefighters around when extra hands are needed to battle daytime blazes, said Fire Chief Stony Lohr. "There aren't a lot of resources for us to call upon in the daytime," Lohr said. He said it would be nice to get volunteers who work midnight shifts so they can be available in the city during the day if needed. "The purpose is to have people available to respond to calls," Lohr added. The training for volunteers, which takes place every Monday night, is free, along with the pager, turnout gear and other equipment the city provides its volunteer firefighters. And once you've passed the national firefighting exam, you won't just be rolling out the hose ... you'll get to battle the flames first-hand, Lohr said. And if the idea of becoming a volunteer firefighter really excites you and you have the spare time you can take three weeks of courses (one week at a time) at the state's fire academy in Forsyth. The city will foot the bill for that, but new volunteers will get the same information in the Monday evening meetings, Lohr said. But once you're out in the field, be ready for the pressure that comes with lifesaving duties, Lohr added. "The real crucial aspect of lifesaving is in the first few minutes of the event," Lohr explained. "There are many things to do in those first few minutes, and how quickly and how well they get done is very important."
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