The Gwinnett County Fire Department was born in January 1971 and responded to its first emergency call on March 30, 1971, at 10:15 a.m. Since that time, the department has grown by leaps and bounds just as the county has.
"The citizens of Gwinnett County are served by some of the most highly skilled and dedicated fire and emergency medical professionals anywhere in the country," said Gwinnett Fire Chief Bill Myers.
The Hall County Fire Department celebrated its 40th anniversary three months ago.
The idea of a countywide fire department in Gwinnett was based on the efforts of then-District 2 County Commissioner Ray Gunnin. Gunnin campaigned for a countywide fire department following the deaths of seven people in 1967 in the Pinckneyville/Norcross area and because of tremendous industrial growth in the late sixties and early 70s.
The county purchased a fire truck and equipment from the city of Norcross and leased the city's fire station. The department hired its first two employees, Ray Mattison and Tom Griffin, in January 1971. On February 15, 1971, eight additional personnel were hired, and a six-week basic training course was conducted. The additional personnel included: Richard Garner, Homer Gilstrap, Russell Smith, Dickie Howard, Karl Donehoo, David Roper, Ronald Earwood and Jeff Huff. A new fire truck was ordered and received in March 1971 and a budget of $89,000 was adopted.
The department continued to expand in order to meet the needs of a diverse and growing community, including the acquisition of the ambulance service from the hospital authority in 1986.
Today, the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services is the largest fire protection district in the state. The department covers an area of 437 square miles and protects a population of 800,000 people. Over the years the department has expanded its services to include: hazardous materials response, swiftwater rescue and technical rescue.
In 2010, the department responded to 63,000 emergency incidents, conducted 11,375 building inspections, and provided 1,526 fire and life safety programs. The department employs 850 personnel and responds from 30 fire stations. The department made history recently when it opened three fire stations on the same day and hired its largest basic firefighter recruit training class.
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LINK BOX:
Gwinnett County Fire Dept.
Gwinnett Fire Station # 30
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/3/237226