Fire Department Celebrating 40th Anniversary

Since 1971, the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services has been saving lives and protecting property.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the department will hold an open house at each of Gwinnett County’s 30 fire stations on March 20 from 2-4 p.m. Citizens are invited to tour the stations, view apparatus and equipment displays and learn valuable fire and life safety information.

The Gwinnett County Fire Department handled its first emergency call on March 30, 1971. That year, the department had one station, 10 personnel and a budget of $89,000. Now, the department has 30 strategically placed community fire stations, a , a fire investigations section, a community risk reduction/education/inspection/code enforcement section, a business services division and an operations division. The department currently employs 850 people and has a budget of $76 million.

“The citizens of Gwinnett County are served by some of the most highly skilled and dedicated fire and emergency medical professionals anywhere in the country,” said Gwinnett Fire Chief Bill Myers in a released statement.   

On March 15 at 2 p.m., the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will formally recognize the Department’s anniversary.

DEPARTMENT HISTORY 

According to GCFES press release, the idea of a countywide fire department was championed by former district 2 commissioner Ray Gunnin. After seven people died in 1967 in the Pinckneyville/Norcross area, Gunnin became a strong supporter of fire protection.

The county purchased a fire truck and equipment and leased a station from the city of Norcross. In January of 1971, the department hired its first two employees, Tom Griffin and Ray Mattison, the current chief of the Winder Fire Department. A few weeks later, Richard Garner, Homer Gilstrap, Russell Smith, Dickie Howard, Karl Donehoo, David Roper, Ronald Earwood and Jeff Huff were hired and participated in a six-week basic training course.

The department continued to grow and, in 1986, began providing emergency medical care after acquiring the from the hospital authority.

TODAY’S FIRE SERVICE

The department is now the largest fire protection district in the state of Georgia covering an area of 437 square miles and a population of 800,000 people. In addition to fire and emergency medical services, the department provides hazardous materials response, swiftwater rescue and technical rescue.

Last year, the department responded to 63,000 emergency incidents, conducted 11,375 building inspections and provided 1,526 fire and life safety programs. 

DACULA AREA FIRE STATIONS