Fire/EMS

Tradition, Honor, Sacrifice, and Brotherhood. When we hear these words in the fire service they echo volumes.  In today’s society however these phrases, to many are merely words. To the men and women of Barrow County Emergency Services, Division of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, they are fiber of what we do and who we are.

Traditions to a firefighter are held dear, Dalmatians, red trucks and leather helmets are treasured icons of what makes the fire service unique. Traditions more importantly are the foundation upon which we as a department will continuously grow. Utilizing the lessons learned from our history, the division of Fire and EMS is committed to continuously adapt to meet the changing needs of the community we serve and protect.    

From our humble beginnings as individual volunteer fire departments, the BCES Division of Fire & EMS has grown in to an all hazards emergency responses agency. Today’s Firefighters provide not only traditional fire and rescue services, but also include the timely delivery of emergent medical care at the advanced life support level, essentially bringing the emergency room to the patients in the field.  Other disciplines afforded the community by the service today, include: hazardous materials and technical rescue as part of our partnership with the Georgia Mutual Aid Group (GMAG), Fire Prevention, Community Education Programs, and Children After the Fire (Developed locally in Barrow County , a nationally awarded program to assist children dealing with the tragic effects of coping with fires).   

Honor is what determines a person's character: The men and women of BCES, Division of Fire & EMS strive to maintain the trust and respect of the 63,000 citizens of the community, and its visitors, delivering the best services possible, with integrity and fairness to those in need.

Sacrifice, is the act of deliberately following a course of action that has a high risk in order to achieve a perceived benefit for others. Simply that is what we do as firefighters every time we respond to a call.  As firefighters we recognize that there is no greater calling than to help your fellow man, and ultimately that is why we do the job we do.  

In preparation for duty firefighters receive over 250 hours of initial education and rigorous training, in both fire fighting and medical procedures.  Additionally firefighters work to maintain competencies and certifications by completing over 240 hours of continuing education annually.     

Brotherhood is simple, it is a collective group who share, and the hold dear the same tradition and honor, as well endure the same sacrifices, in a word FIREFIGHTERS.