The central Georgia GSAR, based in Houston County, dispatched two tractor-trailer technical rescue vehicles and 54 personnel to the Fire Training Institute at Baton Rouge.  They will be assigned to  search and rescue efforts and building stabilization duties.

This is the first out-of-state deployment for a Georgia GSAR team since they were placed in service last year.

A military fuel truck, provided by Ft. Gillem and driven by a Cartersville firefighter, accompanied  the team.  And the Firefighters Burn Foundation provided a bus and driver to transport the personnel.  The team will  be deployed for nine days.

“It is an opportunity to demonstrate our skills, and to do some good to help our neighbors,”  said Houston County Fire Chief and EMA Director Jimmy Williams.
  
The central Georgia squad is one of three teams equipped and trained for a wide range of rescue services including heavy rescue and extrication, confined space rescue, trench rescue, collapsed building rescue, rope rescue, wilderness search, and hazardous materials.    It is made up of personnel from the Houston County Fire Department; Macon-Bibb County Fire Department, Peach, Monroe, and Spalding County Fire Departments; Forsyth, Warner Robins, Perry, and Griffin Fire Departments; the Medical Center of Central Georgia; and Houston County Health Care.

Although the teams were funded and established primarily for terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents, they are available for host departments to use as needed.

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Post Office Box 18055 - Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Phone (404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia 1-800-TRY-GEMA - Fax (404)635-7205
www.ohs.state.ga.us