August 1, 2008

Sumter County Fire Rescue congratulates 17 firefighters who completed the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program through Lake Vo-Tech.  The EMT program is over 250 contact hours and includes clinical internships in local hospitals and on Advanced Life Support / EMS ambulances. The classroom and lab portions of the program were held at Lake-Sumter Community College in Sumterville through a joint venture with Lake-Vo Tech to bring the training to LSCC’s Sumterville Campus.  This is first time this program has been offered in Sumter County, another course offering is being planned for in the fall.  Sumter County Fire Rescue salutes these graduates.  Their newly acquired knowledge and skills will greatly enhance the service we provide to Sumter County’s residents and visitors.

Photo Caption: L/R;  Lt. Chris Burris, FF Greg Martz, FF David Hansard, FF Chris Helbig, Kim Callaway, FF Jammie Tucker, Capt. Justin Thalgott, FF Traci Nicholson, FF Brian Hoogewind, Commander Rob Hanson (Lead Instructor), FF Dana Lewis, Capt. George Smith, Capt. Mike Hurst, FF Aaron Ketcham, FF Scott Hibbs, Lt. B.J. Blockyou, FF Geoff Martz, FF Mike Mount - NOT PICTURED: Robin Cassidy.

 

Trucks for station 15 (left) and station 32 (right)

 

June 12, 2007

Sumter County Fire Rescue has taken delivery of two new tanker trucks. These two tankers will greatly enhance Sumter County Fire Rescue’s ability to fight fire by providing water to remote areas and areas that do not have fire hydrants in Sumter County.

The tankers are manufactured by Deep South Fire Trucks of Seminary Ridge, Mississippi. One tanker has a capacity of 3,000 gallons of water. This tanker will be assigned to the S.C.F.R. Station 32 in the Oxford area. The second tanker has a capacity of 2,000 gallons of water and will be assigned to S.C.F.R. Station 15 in the Sumterville area. Both tankers have a portable folding tank as part of their equipment. These folding tanks allow the water from the tanker to be left on the scene of a fire and used while the tanker is going to get more water. This procedure is known as a “Tanker – Shuttle Operation” and allows Fire- Rescue to deliver fire fighting water flows in rural areas to help improve I.S.O. (Insurance Services Office) ratings which should result in lowered rates for fire insurance to Sumter County Residents. The I.S.O. rates fire services on a 1-10 scale, the lower number the better the fire service.

Recently the I.S.O. evaluated the unified Sumter County Fire Rescue services for the first time and determined that the I.S.O. rating for most of Sumter County is a 5 / 8B, with the rating of 5 for areas with fire hydrants and 8B for those in the more rural areas without fire hydrants. Those area served by City of Wildwood Utilities (water) with Sumter County Fire Rescue actually received an I.S.O. rating of 4, as they received the benefit of the water distribution system of the City of Wildwood and the services of the Aerial Ladder Company (Tower 31) of Sumter County Fire Rescue.

All residents of Sumter County have seen an improvement in their fire service and the lowering of their I.S.O. rating since the unification of fire departments under Sumter County Fire Rescue.

Photos: Top- Tri-County District Chief Carlson and Commissioner Breeden, Bottom- Commissioner Mask and Sumter Co. Fire Rescue Chief Gulbrandsen

 

 

On September 11, 2006, Sumter County Fire Rescue invited their community and fellow firefighters from surrounding counties to join in the dedication and opening of Station 15, Sumterville, the 11th Fire Station in Sumter County. Station 15, was dedicated to the memory of the Heroes of 9-11-01 as the bell sounded in memory of the 343 who made the ultimate sacrifice to their fellow men. The bell also rang in memory of two of Sumter County’s own, P.J. Reed and Wayne Fort, who had lost their lives in service to their community in February of 1989, prior to our countywide unification in October of 2002. As retired Chief Robert Kline from that era mentioned, “…it was about time that the sacrifice of those two men was recognized.” He lauded the County’s unified fire service and Chief Gulbrandsen for remembering them and the memorial.

Sumter County Fire Chief Bill Gulbrandsen welcomed Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite and Lisa Marshall, representative for Bill Nelson, as well as Sumter County officials noting that September 11, 2006, was more than remembrances. Those gathered witnessed a level of fire service never before seen in Sumter County with the addition of new apparatus and a partnership with Lake-Sumter Community College now offering Fire Sciences training. On display for the first time were three new Pierce Contender Fire Engines. The three new engines were built on Kenworth chassis and carry 1000 gallons of water with 1250 gpm Hale pumps. They will be in service at Stations 12, 33 and 28. Also on display were three new 2000 gallon tankers with 1250 gpm pumps also built on Kenworth Chassis. The tankers were built by Deep South Fire Trucks in Seminary, MS, and were delivered in July and August of 2006. The new tankers are in service at Stations 14, 21 and 29. Tours of the new training facility, Station 15 and the Flashover Simulator / Fire Training Module purchased with a grant award from the Assistance to Firefighters grant offered the community a glance at the growth in the County’s Fire and Rescue which will celebrate its fourth year as a unified service on October 1, 2006.