Martin lauded by state firefighters in Alpharetta

When it became apparent that the fire training facility at the Georgia Fire Academy in Forsyth known as the burn building was getting, well, burned out, it was state Rep. Chuck Martin who engineered a $1.7 million bond to build a new training facility.

The Fire Academy is where many firefighters across the state receive their certification.

For his support in the General Assembly for this bill and other work, Martin was named the 2008 Legislator of the year jointly by the Ga. Association of Fire Chiefs and the Ga. Firefighters Association.

"The Ga. Fire Academy is where most firefighters, especially those from the southern part of the state, are trained. The burn room pods, where firefighters got their live training, were essentially worn out," said Randall Windham, executive director of the Ga. Fire Chiefs Association.

"Live fire training is essential for those who fight fires. It would be like your favorite football team never practicing with the ball. What Rep. Martin has done is make sure that won't happen with our firefighters."

Martin said he first gained special insight into just what public safety means when he was a councilman and later mayor of Alpharetta.

"It's like I tell my children. When we wake up on Christmas morning or go out New Year's Eve, there is always a shift of firefighters on duty working and ready to be wherever they're needed," Martin said.

Martin commended his fellow lawmakers for supporting the bill in these harsh economic times.

"They understand that there are places that you just can't cut," he said.
- www.northfulton.com

Sphere: Related Content