Fannin Commissioners appoint Grable to Economic Development Authority

Board of Commissioners
Commissioners

FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners met April 26, 2022. At the meeting they approved an appointment and several purchases.

At their last meeting, the commissioners tabled the appointment of Steve Grable to the Fannin County Economic Development Authority. They all noted a desire to speak to Grable personally before approving the appointment. At their April 26 meeting, Post 2 Commissioner Glenn Patterson said, after meeting with Grable, “I feel like he’s very qualified to help us out, and appreciate him doing so.”

Fannin County Fire Chief Larry Thomas first told the board that the Fannin County Fire Department had assisted Polk County, Tenn. with a fire that destroyed the Ocoee Whitewater Center that morning. Thomas then shared that the fire department had received a letter of acceptance for the Fireworks Tax Grant. The county will receive $19,017 after contributing $2,113. The total $21,130 will “purchase some much needed turnout gear,” Thomas added.

Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff spoke to the board about projects and purchases. The board heard updates about future paving projects on parts of Tower Road, Daves Road, Picklesimer Road, North Burgess Gap Road, Fightingtown Creek Road, Peter Knob Road, Friendship Road, Snake Nation Road, and Weaver Creek Road. Those projects will be done using SPLOST funding, but a paving project on Cutcane Road will receive funding from the Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG).

Ratcliff also noted that the county will be returning about $100,000 to the SPLOST fund after the state government allocated funding for Newport Bridge. Ratcliff requested purchase of a pole barn for $20,990 and Kubota tractor for $36,670.72. “We’ve tried our best for the last year and a half now to get that better equipment to provide the better service for our community,” Chairman Jamie Hensley said before approving the purchase.

Chairman Hensley also briefly spoke about the intergovernmental agreement announced on April 22, 2022 that will bring Fannin County a standalone library: “We’re thankful to be able to say that.” Commissioner Patterson added: “I think it’s gonna be something that can stand long after we’re gone, and help … young and old alike in so many different ways.” In addition, Chairman Hensley announced that a meeting will be held at Blue Ridge City Hall on May 2, 2022 to discuss the city’s park.

Fannin County receives Fire and Life Safety House

Community
Larry Thomas and Fire and Life Safety House

FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — Lead Fire and Life Safety Educator Amanda Jones, with the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, presented a new Fire and Life Safety House that will be stationed in Fannin County. Fannin County Fire Chief Larry Thomas also attended the walkthrough, where Jones shared the features of the safety house and her goals for the program.

Safety house

Jones walked through the features of the Fire and Life Safety House.

The safety house is divided into three rooms. The first includes a seating area for students, a television, and a kitchen area. The television will play videos from the Weather Channel, teaching students about what to do in different weather scenarios. “It’s proven that if kids do things repeatedly, and they know what’s going to happen, they’re not as scared in the case of an accident or an incident,” Jones said. The kitchen area allows the instructor to go over kitchen and cooking safety, including how to respond to a grease fire. Jones also shared that a microwave component will enable instructors to teach about the proper usage.

A second room lets instructors control the different components of the house. That control room also includes a phone system, so students can practice communicating with emergency dispatchers. The third room includes a heated door and an opening window where students are taught how to safely evacuate a house fire. The safety house is also equipped to release smoke, simulating a house fire.

Safety house

Jones demonstrated the smoke component.

Jones said that she “wanted to use every corner of this to be able to teach,” so even the outside of the house is decorated with informative material. The largest sides of the safety house depict a home escape plan and hold information about smoke alarms.

The current program is mostly aimed at elementary school students, but Jones noted that, depending on the age of students, different aspects of the safety house are emphasized. She also shared that future goals include safety lessons for not only younger students, but college students and the elderly.

Accessibility was also important to Jones: “Our goal is to get into the communities that maybe don’t have the money to have education, fire and life safety education, so we want to be able to help the those communities that may not have that resource.” She noted that the fire safety house is also handicap friendly.

While the fire safety house will be stationed in Fannin County, it will serve the entire North Georgia area. Jones noted it’s one of three in the state, with the other two in Central Georgia and the Atlanta area. “I’m very appreciative,” Jones said of the Fannin County Fire Department, “there’s not many departments that we could have room and would let us bring it in.”

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