Cherokee Fire House Donated To Gilmer County

CANTON, GA -- Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services donated the department’s Fire Safety House earlier this month to the Gilmer County Fire Department.

When Cherokee County consolidated with the Canton Fire Department, the fire department was able to obtain the city’s Fire Safety House. According to Chad Arp, Cherokee County Fire Marshal and former Fire Educator, “Canton’s Fire Safety House was a newer model than the one the county had, plus, it had a new style design for class seating and it’s all on one level, too. It has been repaired, painted and new graphic lettering has been applied.”

Once the changes and repairs were complete, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, began searching for a new home for the old Fire Safety House. Prather contacted the Fire Chief of Gilmer County and asked if they had a Fire Safety House. He learned they didn’t have one, but they had been trying to acquire one without any luck. On February 19, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved the transfer and the old Fire Safety House was delivered to the Gilmer County Fire Department on March 13.

The transfer was a bittersweet day for Arp who spent numerous hours and days earlier in his career using the old Fire Safety House to educate thousands of children throughout Cherokee County. “I will definitely miss it but will cherish all of the great memories of my early career with Captain Ann Segers and the many others while traveling across Cherokee County and the State of Georgia teaching with this house.”

Keith Kucera, Director of Gilmer County Department of Public Safety, said in an email, “On behalf of the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners and Gilmer County Public Safety, we would like to extend our sincerest gratitude for your generous donation of the Fire Safety Training Trailer. Our Fire/Life Safety team here at Gilmer County has already used this wonderful gift at Ellijay Primary School which saw over 50 first graders pass through and learn about home safety. With several more requests for educational opportunities in the que, this new facet of our Life Safety Educators would not be possible without your thoughtfulness and generosity. Our entire community truly appreciates you and your staff.”

Fire safety education is extremely important in educating students on being safe with fire and teaching them what to do in a fire emergency. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services is proud to be able to lend a helping hand to other fire departments in the important role of keeping children safe.