he Lives of Others
Article by Lori Benoit | [email protected]
On February 4, 2020 the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Fire Service Marshals were deputized
during the 48th Annual Firefighter Appreciation Day hosted at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga.
“I am honored to be a part of Fire Fighter Appreciation Day, and am proud of these courageous men and
women who help keep the citizens of Georgia safe,” said Commissioner Timothy C. Ward. “We applaud the
hard work and dedication of Firefighters throughout the state of Georgia, to include our staff and inmate
firefighters, and appreciate their invaluable and commendable service to their communities.”
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King swore in six GDC
Fire Services employees in the rotunda of the State Capitol along
with hundreds of firefighters from across the state of Georgia.
The GDC employees who were sworn in during this momentous
day were Fire Service Chief Shawn Wombles, Life Safety
Compliance Officer Charles Price, and District Fire Chiefs
Rodney Helms, Don Shugart, Matt Kelly, and Glynn Pittman.
GDC Fire Services operates 25 fire stations, with mutual
and automatic aid agreements throughout 51 counties
within Georgia. Fire Service employees oversee and
train offenders as certified firefighters, and receive
certification through Georgia Standards and Training.
Currently, the department has over 130 offenders
participating in the program which responds to
approximately 3,000 calls annually. The Fire Stations
and Fire Fighters assist local communities, and
facilities by providing life safety assistance and
lower Insurance Service Organization (ISO) ratings,
which results in a significant decrease of property
insurance costs.
9
9