THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF FIRE SERVICE

2017 was an important year for Thomasville Fire Rescue, as the department marked 150 years of service to the Thomasville community. On December 30th, TFR will formally recognize the occasion as well as the first line of duty death in the department, which occurred 100 years ago on December 30, 1917. According to Fire Chief Chris Bowman, both occasions will be remembered during this year’s Firefighter Appreciation Dinner. “Thomasville firefighters have been a part of protecting...



TFR SHARES FIRE EXTINGUISHER SAFETY NOTICE

Thomasville Fire Rescue has been notified of a fire extinguisher recall that could impact homes in the Thomasville area. Kidde, a manufacturer of fire extinguishers, has announced a recall of almost 38 million fire extinguishers nationwide. According to Fire Marshal Tim Connell, the affected extinguishers may not perform when an emergency situation occurs. “The fire extinguishers that are part of this recall can become clogged or require an excessive amount of force to get them to...



THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE OBSERVES NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

Consider this scenario: It’s 2 o’clock in the morning. You and your family are fast asleep when you awaken to the smoke alarm sounding and the smell of smoke. What do you do? If you and your family don’t have a plan in place, it could jeopardize your safety, or even prove deadly. “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” said TFR Fire Marshal Tim Connell. “That’s why home escape planning is...



THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE SPONSORS 9/11 MEMORIAL STAIR CLIMB

Fifteen years ago on September 11, 2001, over 3,000 people were killed during terrorist attacks involving airliners aimed at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a field in Pennsylvania. The 3,000 individuals who lost their lives that day included 343 firefighters, 63 police officers and eight emergency medical technicians who paid the ultimate sacrifice while responding to the attack on the World Trade Center. On September 9, 2017, these fallen heroes...



TFR'S DUKES RECOGNIZED AS 2017 GSFA TRAINING OFFICER OF THE YEAR

One of Thomasville Fire Rescue’s own has been recognized on the state level. The Georgia State Firefighters Association (GSFA) has recently named TFR’s Chief of Training Craig Dukes as the recipient of the 2017 Training Officer of the Year Award. This recognition is given annually to a training officer who has shown both proficiency in training methods and also community leadership. Dukes was presented this award during the 2017 Georgia Fire Service Conference awards ceremony held August...



THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE OFFERS SAFETY TIPS FOR FIREWORKS

The July 4th holiday means freedom, family, fun and – for many – fireworks. To help our community enjoy the holiday festivities safely, Thomasville Fire Rescue encourages families to follow fireworks safety tips and understand the associated risks. “Fireworks and fireworks displays can be fun and enjoyable for all ages, but fireworks can be dangerous and destructive if not handled properly,” said Fire Marshal Tim Connell. “According to the National Fire Protection Association,...



THOMASVILLE FIREFIGHTERS ACHIEVE PROFICIENCY AND PROFESSIONALISM WITH REALISTIC TRAINING

Realistic training beyond a classroom is a necessity to ensure firefighter safety and readiness. Almost every firefighter has heard the following: “Train as if your life depends on it, because it does.” “Firefighters can only learn so much sitting in a classroom or by reading in textbooks and journals,” said Thomasville Fire Rescue Chief of Training Craig Dukes. “Video instruction about search and rescue, forcing entry into buildings, ventilating smoke from structures, breaching...



THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE HITS THE LADDERS

Members of Thomasville Fire Rescue are participating in annual training to help ensure the department is ready to respond to all situations, no matter the height. Each member of TFR must ascend the department’s aerial truck ladder to its full height of 100 feet. To mimic real-life emergency scenarios, the training exercise requires TFR members to complete the ladder climb wearing full turnout gear and carrying a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). “All combined, the turnout...



FIRE RECRUITS GRADUATE

Four Thomasville Fire Rescue recruits graduated from the Georgia Fire Academy in Forsyth Georgia on Thursday, March 2, 2017. TFR firefighter recruits and recent Academy graduates are Richard Britt, Daniel Oliva, Hailee Roberts, and Nathaniel Thomas. Additionally, Thomas and Roberts were recognized with special awards during the evening’s ceremonies that honored the 18 graduates from across the state of Georgia. Thomasville Fire Chief Chris Bowman was featured as the keynote speaker for...



DUKES EARNS TRAINING OFFICER CREDENTIAL

A member of Thomasville Fire Rescue has become the first in the state of Georgia to receive the Training Officer Credential designation from the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI). Craig Dukes, Chief of Training, was one of forty candidates participating in the newly launched program from more than 20 departments nationwide. “I’m very proud to accomplish this goal and earn the credential of ISFSI Training Officer,” said Dukes. “This is the most valuable...



THOMASVILLE FIRE RESCUE ESTABLISHES RESCUE TEAM

If you noticed members of Thomasville Fire Rescue (TFR) repelling from the tower at the CNS Headend at the Plantation Oak’s Industrial Park, don’t be alarmed; it was all part of a training program for TFR’s new technical ropes rescue team. TFR team members recently participated in a 40-hour technical rescue training session that involved high-angle rescue simulations. The outcome is a team better prepared to handle intense tower rescue situations. Chris Bowman, Fire Chief, said that...