Brooks County Fire Department Adopts New Programs

         Brooks County Fire Department has recently made some large changes to the department in order to better serve the community. These changes consist of making the fire department a combination department of both paid and volunteer firefighters. The second is the adoption of the state of Georgia Fire Prevention and safety Minimum Fire Prevention and Safety Standards related to the National Fire Protection Association Life and Safety Code 101 and the International Fire Code of 2012.

           The combination of both paid and volunteer firefighters means that there are now certified firefighters on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This new combination will allow firefighters to respond immediately to emergency calls. It will also allow firefighters to visit businesses in order to conduct a pre-fire plan survey and to collect data and a drawing of the floor plan in order to inform firefighters who are called to a facility knowledge of the buildings for a quicker response and location should a search be needed, or fire chemicals extinguished.

           The adoption of the Fire and Safety from the State of Georgia and the Safety Standards related to the National Fire Protection Association Life and Safety Code was implemented for the safe environment of businesses and homes for patrons and workers. It was not implemented to shut any business down or force any homeowner out.

           In accordance with this new adoption the fire department has hired a certified Fire Inspector who is deputized by the State of Georgia to perform Fire Prevention and Safety Inspections for all businesses and homes within the Brooks County communities. This programs main focus is to help local business owners provide a safe environment for their patrons and workers.

           The Fire Inspector’s, Trevor Kellogg, job is to reference the codes of the adoption to all business owners with compliance of state and Local codes to include ensuring that the establishment is a safe environment for customers and workers. The inspector is to work with businesses to help correct any fire hazards and has been informed that he is to give all businesses a 48-hour notice of a scheduled inspection.

           Kellogg’s job requires fire inspections which look for out of date fire extinguishers, open light sockets, wiring issues, exit ways, alarms, and other issues that may cause harm to the workers or the patrons. Kellogg is to work with the owners in addressing these issues and helping to establish a plan on implementing the needed fixes.

           Businesses who are working to fix the problem within 30-days will continue to have further time, those who do not comply with the needed fixes after 30-days or shows no intention of addressing the problems will not be shut down immediately. It will take a joint coordination between county officials and the fire department before any further action can be taken.

           “The fire department is not working against any business or person in the communities. We are willing to work with everyone in order to address correction of any hazards that could possibly cause fires or injuries to their businesses or workers or even their patrons,” said Chief Catlett. Chief Catlett urges anyone with questions or concerns to contact him at rcatlett@brookscountyga.gov or to call him at (229) 560-6230.

Sites to find the Standards being used and further information.

  If you would like to know the standards state specifically you can find them at:

 For National Fire Prevention 101 look here: https://www.bloomsburgpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-NFPA-101.pdf  

For the International Fire Code of Georgia look here: https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2014_ifcamendments.pdf