Fire Wire - Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services

The Fire Wire
Cherokee County Office of Fire and Emergency Services
150 Chattin Drive, Canton, Georgia 30115 • (678) 493-4000
March - April Volume 10 - Issue 2
Running for a Cause
Story on Page 4

The Fire Wire
Published bi-monthly by the
Cherokee County Office of Fire
and Emergency Services
Tim Prather
Fire Chief
Tim Cavender
Editor
Eddie Robinson
Assistant Fire Chief
Rick Ruh
Fire Marshal
Kevin Botts
Support Services Manager
Jill Mabley, M.D.,FACEP
Medical Director
Cherokee County Office of
Fire and Emergency Services
150 Chattin Drive
Canton, GA 30115
Phone: [678] 493-4000
Fax: [678] 493-4034
www.cherokeecountyfire.org
Office Hours: Monday through Friday
8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Closed Saturday, Sunday and Holidays
The Fire Wire
Spring Cleaning Yur
Medicine Cabinet
Page 2
With the beginning of spring comes the end of winter’s flu, cold, and
cough medicines. At the same time spring means sun, insects, and lots
of outdoor activities. It’s a great time to add a few necessary components
to ensure that you have the right supplies for spring’s medicinal
needs. Decluttering this one tiny section of your home will get rid of
dangerous and outdated items, while getting you ready for spring.
What to Throw Away:
Expired medicines lose their effectiveness and in some instances can
become dangerous. Check expiration dates thoroughly.
Nearly empty bottles create clutter and may not even have enough
medicine left for a full dose.
Improperly stored items can partially evaporate, leaving them more
concentrated and dangerous. Get rid of items that were not sealed or
stored properly.
Duplicates of items that are not used often only create clutter. If you do
want to keep duplicates, move them out of the medicine cabinet and
into a larger area to store. Try a large bathroom cabinet, or your pantry.
Old prescriptions, or partially used prescriptions should not be saved.
Check with your physician if you have questions about saving prescriptions
What to Add:
Sunscreen with the right amount of SPF protection.
Aloe Vera to treat burns.
Insect repellant to keep spring’s bugs at bay.
Insect bite relief for when they bite you anyway.
Heating and cooling packs for sprains and strains during outdoor fun.
Allergy medications for allergy sufferers.
Updated First Aid Kit including band aids, antiseptic wash, and ointment
for spring scrapes.
Take the time to free up your medicine cabinet for the items your family
will need this spring.
ABOUT THE COVER: Cherokee
County Fire Chief, Tim
Prather (left) and Assistant Fire
Chief, Eddie Robinson (right)
participate in the annual Guns
and Hoses Run held at
Hobgood Park.
Story on page 4

The Fire Wire
Page 3
Shane West Named Cherokee County’s
Employee of the Year
Battalion Chief, Shane West, with Cherokee County
Fire and Emergency Services, was named Cherokee
County’s Employee of the Year for 2011. West is a
paramedic at Station 1 and has worked in fire and
emergency services for 15 years.
West was the recipient of the Outstanding Service
Award winner for the second quarter of 2011. The
recipient of the Employee of the Year award is selected
from the recipients from each quarter.
Shane West (right) accepts the award from Steven
McClure, Cherokee County's Director of Human
Resources.
added Prather.
West works tirelessly both on and off duty to make
sure that the department and his subordinates succeed.
Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather,
said that he knew Shane from his beginnings with
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.
“Shane was a great example when he came on
board with the fire department and he still is today,”
West developed and pioneered the Cherokee Fire and Emergency Services Officers Forum to help develop
better communications between the firefighters and management. The forum serves many purposes for the
department including, a communication bridge, a development and training mechanism, a debriefing forum
and a platform for firefighters to voice their opinions in a positive way.
West resides in Talking Rock with his wife, Natalie, daughter, Heidi and sons, Kyle and Andrew.
Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, speaks
about Shane West's dedication to the fire department.
Participants during today's recognition ceremony
include (left to right): "Buzz" Ahrens, Chairman of the
Board of Commissioners, Eddie Robinson, Assistant
Fire Chief, Shane West, Natalie West, Shane's wife,
Tim Prather, Fire Chief, and Steven McClure, Director
of Human Resources.

The Fire Wire
Page 4
Guns and Hoses Run a Success
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency
Services lost the Annual
Gun and Hoses 5 K Run for the
second time in 6 years. The run,
which was held on Saturday,
February 25th at Hobgood Park, is
sponsored by the Cherokee
County Recreation and Parks
Agency.
Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, congratulates Sam Harp, son
of Cherokee County firefighter, Lyle Harp, for winning this year's race.
office combined their efforts this year and donated their winnings to the
Hope and Light Foundation, which assists children with Spinal Muscular
Atrophy (SMA). This year’s run was done in memory of Aleena Miller
who passed away last year and was a victim of SMA. Spinal muscular
atrophy is a genetically inherited neuromuscular disease characterized
by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. SMA occurs in about 1
in every 6,000-10,000 births, regrettably qualifying it as the number one
genetic killer of babies and toddlers under the age of two
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency
Services and the Cherokee
County Sheriff’s Office solicit
registrations from runners to raise
money for charity. The event was
open to the public and runners
were asked to pick the team they
wanted to run for, Guns or Hoses,
and $5.00 of their registration fee
was donated to an area charity.
The fire department and sheriff’s
According to Kate Borden, with the Cherokee County Recreation and
Parks Agency, 234 runners signed up for the fire department, while 408
signed up with the sheriff’s office. The Hope and Light Foundation will
receive a check in the amount of $3,210.
Sam Harp, the overall winner of the 5K race and a member of the
Hoses team, finished the race in 18 minutes and 25 seconds. Sam is a
freshman at Cherokee High School and is the son of Lyle and Cheri
Harp. Sam’s dad is a firefighter with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency
Services. The overall female runner was Meagan Anstett, also a
member of the Hoses team, who crossed the finish line at 20 minutes,
57 seconds.
Thanks all of those who came out to support this event!
Meagan Anstett, also a member of
the Hoses Team, wins the trophy
for overall winner in the female
division.

The Fire Wire
Twenty Volunteers Receive Basic
Firefighter Certification
Page 5
Twenty volunteers received their
Basic Firefighter certification
during ceremonies held Friday
night, January 27th, at the Ball
Ground Community Center. The
keynote speaker for the evening
was Johnny Weaver, a former
chief with Hickory Flat Volunteer
Fire Department and Chaplain for
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency
Services.
Those receiving their basic firefighter certification included: Back Row
(left to right) – Eddie Robinson – Assistant Fire Chief, Scott Deal –
Training Instructor, Paul Manners, David Cangemi, Wesley Stumpf,
Joshua Lemons, Chris Sears, Toni Hay, Wesley Densmore – Training
Instructor, Johnny Weaver – Keynote Speaker Middle Row (left to right)
– Stefan St. Peter, Mark Karnbach, John Aylward, David Seay, Conner
Andrews, Corey Deal Front Row (left to right) – Aaron Olson, Tyler
Scott, Joshua Wolfe, Patricia Aylward, Miquel Castro, Treavor Williams.
Not pictured: Trent Stager and Mike Wheaton
Before the presentation of the certificates of completion, a couple of
special awards were presented. Stefan St. Peter received the Pinnacle
award which is presented to a firefighter striving to “reach the top” due
to dedication and hard work. Cherokee County firefighter, Jason
Williams presented the Lewis Williams Outstanding Achievement Award
to Paul Manners. The award was recently named on behalf of Jason
Williams’ father, Lewis, who died in the line of duty.
After Weaver’s speech, the graduates
heard comments from Cherokee
County Assistant Fire Chief,
Eddie Robinson.
Stefan St. Peter (right) receives
the Pinnacle Award from Training
Instructor, Wesley Densmore.
The recruits were then asked to come forward to receive their certificates
of completion. Those recruits receiving certificates were: Conner
Andrews, John Aylward, Patricia Aylward, David Cangemi, Miguel
Castro, Corey Deal, Toni Hay, Mark Karnbach, Joshua T. Lemmons,
Paul Manners, Aaron Olsen, Tyler Scott, Chris Sears, David Seay,
Stefan St. Peter, Trent Stager, Wesley Stumpf, Mike Wheaton, Trevor
Williams and Joshua Wolfe.
After receiving their certificates, Wesley Densmore and Scott Deal,
training instructors, congratulated the graduates on their completion of
the basic firefighter course.
The final moments of the graduation included closing remarks made by
Tim Cavender, Public Information Officer for Cherokee County Fire and
Emergency Services.
Paul Manners (right) receives the
Lewis Williams Outstanding
Achievement Award from Cherokee
County firefighter, Jason
Williams.

The Fire Wire
Twenty Three Graduate from
Firefighter Recruit School
The new recruits are - Kneeling (left to right): Casey Cannon, Kevin
Fox, Joshua Nealey, Destiny Labossiere, Daniel Thatcher, Paul
Sansone, Josh Warren, Cody Wilson and John Montague. Standing
(left to right): Tim Prather, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Sgt. Scott Deal,
Training Instructor, Terrell Long, Kristhian Kosiba, Doug Hocker, Cesar
Saavedra, Todd Chadwick, Joshua Capes, Tyler Davidson, Joel
Sciranko, Scott Tipton, Thomas Howes, Kevin Hanson, Adam Elrod,
James Passmore, Nick Durham, Lt. Wesley Densmore, Training Instructor,
Sgt. Matthew Richter, Training Instructor, Eddie Robinson,
Assistant Fire Chief. Kneeling (left to right): Casey Cannon, Kevin Fox,
Joshua Nealey, Destiny Labossiere, Daniel Thatcher, Paul Sansone,
Josh Warren, Cody Wilson and John Montague. Standing (left to right):
Tim Prather, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Sgt. Scott Deal, Training
Instructor, Terrell Long, Kristhian Kosiba, Doug Hocker, Cesar
Saavedra, Todd Chadwick, Joshua Capes, Tyler Davidson, Joel
Sciranko, Scott Tipton, Thomas Howes, Kevin Hanson, Adam Elrod,
James Passmore, Nick Durham, Lt. Wesley Densmore, Training Instructor,
Sgt. Matthew Richter, Training Instructor, Eddie Robinson,
Assistant Fire Chief.
Page 6
Twenty three new fire recruits
graduated from firefighter recruit
school during ceremonies held on
Friday night, February 10th, at the
Woodstock High School Auditorium.
The evening began with an
invocation by Fire Chaplain, Dana
McPherson, followed by the presentation
of colors by the Cherokee
County Fire Honor Guard and
the singing of the national anthem
by Raquel Bustos. The key-note
speaker for the evening was Sam
Heaton, Fire Chief with Cobb
County Fire and Emergency
Services.
Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim
Prather, and Assistant Fire Chief,
Eddie Robinson, came forward
and congratulated the new recruits
and welcomed them to
Cherokee County.
Before the presentation of the
certificates of completion, several
of the recruits received special
awards. The recipient of the
Pinnacle Award for striving to
"reach the top" due to dedication
and hard-work in the Firefighter
Recruit School Class was presented
to Nick Durham. The W.
Clark Waters' Jr. Honor Graduate
Award was presented to Joel
Sciranko. The award was named on behalf of Clark Waters, a Cherokee County firefighter, who passed
away in 2004. Roberts was given the award in recognition of excellence in academics and leadership.
The recruits were then asked to come forward to receive their certificates of completion. Those recruits
receiving certificates were: Casey Cannon, Joshua Capes, Todd Chadwick, Tyler Davidson, Nick Durham,
Adam Elrod, Kevin Fox, Kevin Hanson, Doug Hocker, Thomas Howes, Kristhian Kosiba, Destiny Labossiere,
Terrell Long, John Montague, Joshua Nealey, James Passmore, Cesar Saavedra, Paul Sansone, Joel
Sciranko, Daniel Thatcher, Scott Tipton, Josh Warren and Cody Wilson/
After receiving their certificates, the graduate received the firefighter oath from Cherokee County Fire Chief,
Tim Prather.
(continued on next page)

The Fire Wire
Twenty Three Graduate from
Firefighter Recruit School (continued)
Page 7
The final moments of the graduation included comments from the Training Instructors who were Lt. Wesley
Densmore, Sgt. Scott Deal and Sgt. Matthew Richter.
Nick Durham (right) receives the Pinnacle Award
from Sgt. Matthew Richter.
Lt. Wesley Densmore presents the Clark Waters
Award to Joel Sciranko (right).
Daylight Savings Time
Will Begin On
March 11th, 2012
Remember.....
Change Your Batteries In Your Smoke Alarms!

The Fire Wire
Page 8
Fire Explorers Bring Home Six Awards
Cherokee County Fire Explorers who participated in Winterfest include:
Back Row (left to right): Kayla Williams, Austen Fowler, Joshua
Germon, Daniel Henao, Miles Wilson, Jacob Storey. Middle Row (left to
right): Kylon Drones, Alec Lepage, Alec Marquette, Matthew Bayley,
Matt Armstrong. Front Row (left to right): Maleesha Lester, Sara
DeBlois, Lane Emert, Cheyenne Gurley.
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency
Services' Explorer Post
#469 participated in the annual
Winterfest Competition in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on February
4th, and brought home six
trophies. Over 3200 people,
representing states from all over
the southeast, attended the event
to compete in drills that would test
their skills and knowledge in the
fire and emergency services field.
Explorer Post #469 had 16 youth
to compete against over 60
teams!
The Explorers placed 1st and 3rd
in "The Pittsburg Drill" which is a
drill where the explorers simulate
rescuing a down firefighter
through multiple obstacles to get
him to safety. They placed 1st in
"The Z-Drag" where they had to
rig a rope rescue system to assist
in the removal of a victim from a
hostile environment. They placed
2nd in "The Advanced Emergency
Medical Competition" where they completed a written exam, a trauma practical, and a medical practical to
test their knowledge and skills in providing emergency medical service to multiple patients. They placed 3rd
in "Save your Skin" which resembled a crew of disoriented firefighters having to locate their hose line and
navigate their way out of a hostile environment with seconds to spare. And, finally, they placed 3rd in "Entanglement"
which was a combat challenge type event that tested their skills in the use of a ladder, knowledge
of knots, strength, and their ability to navigate through an entanglement situation. In addition to the
trophies, the Explorer Color Guard had the honor of presenting our nation’s colors at the awards ceremony
on Saturday night.
These trophies represent the hard work and determination of these explorers. The Explorers started training
for this event back in the fall of 2011! And, because of their hard work and determination, they were able to
bring home six trophies this year. The Explorer Post would like to thank the advisors that have been constantly
working with them to prepare them for this event and a future career in the fire service. Advisors in
attendance were: Firefighter Michael Sims, Firefighter Cheri Collett, Firefighter Jordan Seda, Sgt. Scott
Deal, Sgt. Michael Poulson, Capt. Bill Hamby (retired), Capt. Tom Pelletier, Capt. Mark Orr, Capt. Ricky
Collett, Kathy Lawson, and Asst. Chief Eddie Robinson. Another special thank you goes out to Cherokee
County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, and all the other department personnel, friends, and families who have been
supporting this post for many years now.
For more information about Explorer Post #469, contact Michael Sims at (678) 644-1377.