New Lavonia Fire Chief Provides Update

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

New Lavonia Fire Chief Scott O’Barr said things are running smoothly at the Lavonia Fire Department.

At the regular Lavonia City Council meeting recently, O’Barr gave the council and Mayor Ralph Owens an end of year report on the department’s status.

The Lavonia Fire Department’s fiscal year runs from November 1st to October 31st.

Since November 1st, 2013, O’Barr said the Lavonia Fire Department responded to 91 calls.

O’Barr said that included 24 structure fires, 10 automobile fires, and 13 rescue calls.

He said one of the highlights of the year was the number of training hours his firefighters have undergone.

We had about 200 hours of in-house training for our firefighters,” O’Barr said. “Approximately 20 hours were spent at schools, elementary schools and other off-site events, going to different organizations to talk about the fire department. And approximately 40 hours spent in school at the Georgia Firefighter Training Facility in Forsyth, Georgia.” 

O’Barr also said that this year, four volunteer firefighters have retired and four new fire fighters have come on board to the Lavonia Fire Department.

According to O’Barr, retirees included City Councilman Eddie Floyd, Charles Cawthon, Mike Williams, and former Lavonia Fire Chief Bob White.

“We had a small get together on a Sunday afternoon just as an appreciation,” he said. “I don’t want to use the word replace because you can’t replace the four that retired, but our four newest firemen are Benjamin Norris, Jeremy Barnes, Tyler Davison and Justin Ayers. We think they will do a great job for the fire department.”

Also, O’Barr said the Lavonia Fire Department picked up its new fire engine recently.

I did get a look at the truck last week and it looks really nice,” he said.  “I hope it will give us the same level of service that the previous one did.”

O’Barr said the equipment from the old truck will be transferred onto the new truck.