Fort Oglethorpe F/R, Georgia State Educator of the Year

FORT OGLETHORE, GA – On Saturday, August 8, 2009, at the joint conference of the Georgia
State Firefighter’ Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs, the Fire and Life Safety
Division of Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue was named Educator of the Year.  The following was
taken from the program for the evening.

“The Fire and Safety program is recognized for their fire prevention and education program which
has grown dramatically over the past year, providing the ability to reach thousands of individuals.  
The program consists of firefighters, support staff, explorers and fire safety educators, some of
whom are also members of the clown battalions.  In 2008, the Division attended a wide variety of
functions and community events in the area, including but not limited to Kids Day at Battlefield
Primary and Elementary, Fire Safety Day at Fazoli’s, YMCA Healthy Kids Day, St. Jude Radiothon,
and reached over 15,000 people with the fire prevention education.”

During 2008 Fire Prevention Week alone, the Division reached approximately 6,000 children and
500 adults.  The fire prevention show was redesigned this year to go along with a ‘Gilligan’s Island’
and ‘Survivor’ theme which kept the students tuned in.  The challenges of this theme taught the
children bicycle safety, tornado safety, ‘stop-drop-and roll’ techniques, two ways out, and exit drills
in the home (EDITH).”

“The Smoke Detector Giveaway Program continued in 2008, providing anyone with a need for a
smoke detector with one with batteries for each floor in their home., along with installing and
testing the smoke alarms.  The Fire and Life Safety Program has gotten fantastic reviews from Fire
Prevention Week; the teachers and child care workers love the Gilligan’s Island show and the field
trip.  The program was featured in Catoosa County News, 1st Responder News, and on WDEF
Channel 12 News.”

“The Fire and Life Safety Program’s aggressiveness and initiative to provide the community fire
prevention and education is extreme, from development and implementation of the skits for fire
education shows, members in the background scheduling all public relations activities throughout
the year, to members who build props and extra stage pieces for educational purposes.  The
program worked with the Catoosa County School Board to obtain permission to have all grades of
elementary/primary schools make a field trip during the 2008-2009 year.  Since Georgia state laws
have made it more difficult for child care centers to make field trips, a system was developed to
bring the work to child care centers.”
SOME IMAGES COURTESY OF
LEISA KIBBLE