DeKalb Fire Department Awards More of its Own
by: Dwayne PageJan 19, 2025
The Liberty Fire Station can claim bragging rights after being awarded the DeKalb County Fire Department’s FirstBank “Station of the Year” during Saturday night’s annual awards banquet. The headlining sponsor of the banquet was Wilson Bank & Trust. Awards were also presented to the DTC Communications “Rookie Firefighter of the Year” Terry Phillips of the Four Seasons Station and to the Town & Lake Realty Honorary Lifetime Membership award recipient DCFD Captain Blake Cantrell.
The DCFD also announced the promotion of firefighter Alex Woodward to the officer position rank of Lieutenant.
The Liberty Station Commander Kyle Hovey accepted the “Station of the Year” award from Lieutenant Matt Adcock and Scott Goodwin of FirstBank.
Alex Woodward was the program emcee and made the award announcements.
“The Liberty Station has spent a large number of hours not just with regular fire service and teamwork but also with a focus on service to the community in various ways. The station has placed extra emphasis on member involvement and training at the station level”.
“They have had at least four different station training sessions that the new members have requested while also inviting members from other stations. Specific training on Incident Command and scene size ups, water supply, pumping the station’s engine and training on ladders while wearing SCBA”.
“They have worked hard to keep their station organized and neat while also being accessible to the public while at the station”.
“Several members of this station pulled together to work on a giving box that was damaged. Together they repaired it as well as donated items to re-supply this box”.
“They hosted a community event at Halloween and also spent station funds to help a couple of families in their service area at Christmas time. They also decorated their engine and participated in the town Christmas Parade”
FirstBank is honored to announce that the Liberty Station 65 is the recipient of the 2024 DeKalb County Fire Department Station of the Year”.
*2024 DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (DTC) Rookie of the Year Award.
Firefighter Terry Phillips of the Four Seasons Station was named the recipient of the 2024 DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (DTC) Rookie of the Year Award presented by Justin Mauldin of DTC and DCFD training officer Luke Green.
This award is exclusively based on hours of training completed by a rookie firefighter who completed his/her basic recruit training during 2024.
Program emcee Alex Woodward made the announcement of the winner and the award was presented by Captain Brian Williams
“The DeKalb County Fire Department has a rich legacy of being recognized for its excellent training programs. For the 16th consecutive year, the DeKalb County Fire Department has received statewide recognition for being an elite training department. The department’s leadership feels basic and continuous training are the best tools to give rookies when they enter the fire service. Consequently, training is the sole criteria used for selecting the “Rookie of the Year”.
“We certainly want to recognize all members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment to training. Today, we especially want to recognize this recruit for completing 273.09 hours of training during his 12-month rookie period.”
“DTC Communications is honored to announce that Terry Phillips, firefighter with the Four Seasons Station, is the 2024 DTC Rookie of the Year”, said Woodward.
*2024 Town and Lake Realty Honorary Lifetime Membership
The 2024 Town and Lake Realty Honorary Lifetime Membership honoree is Captain Blake Cantrell.
Program emcee Alex Woodward made the announcement and Jeff Williams, a previous honorary lifetime member presented the award
“Each year, the Department’s Executive Committee accepts and reviews applications for Honorary Lifetime Memberships. This is a very distinguished award and recipients are selected by the Department’s Executive Committee based on strict merits of their service and contributions to our department”.
The Honorary Lifetime Membership Award is being presented to one recipient for the year 2024.
“Captain Blake Cantrell has served as a Firefighter, Station Commander, Lieutenant, and now Captain for a cumulative time of 9 years. He has provided the following significant contributions during his time on the Department:
*Originally joining the Department in 2015 to help with communications but eventually learning there was more to accomplish.
*Since joining the department in 2015, he has been heavily involved in the implementation of new technology, including upgrade to APX radios and Apparatus mobiles, installing cameras at the main station, upgrading station doors to keypads, improving the technology for DCFD training facilities, build out of a new website, and many more improvement projects.
*Served as the Communications Officer for the department since 2016, managing the departments communication equipment and keeping it all up to date.
*Assisted with fundraising efforts through working the Jamboree and Fair booths, and most recently chairperson of the events committee.
*Currently serving as the Vice President of DeKalb Fire, Inc. Board of Directors”.
In April 2024, the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Executive Committee reviewed and approved Captain Cantrell’s application for Honorary Lifetime Membership”.
“This evening, we are honored to officially present Captain Blake Cantrell with his DeKalb County Fire Department Honorary Lifetime Membership, sponsored by Town & Lake Realty. As you can see, Captain Cantrell has served in a very honorable and dedicated manner”.
Automated speed enforcement may be coming to Smithville school zones
by: Dwayne PageJan 17, 2025
Curbing speeding in school zones!
Although the Smithville Police Department does what it can using various enforcement techniques including the issuance of citations, speeding through school zones is a persistent problem.
In order to enhance enforcement during morning and afternoon school traffic while freeing up officers to concentrate on other duties, the City of Smithville has begun discussions with Blue Line Solutions, LLC of Chattanooga to eventually establish automated school zone photo (speed camera) enforcement at no cost to the city using laser-based LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology.
Similar to automated license plate readers, Blue Lines’ laser-based LiDAR technology provides precise automated speed enforcement, ensuring that only vehicles violating speed limits are cited. ASETs identify vehicles and capture their speed through the use of a laser beam. The cameras capture the tag number of vehicles traveling over the speed limit in school zones. Violators are then sent a citation in the mail. The penalty is a $50 fine but unlike a ticket issued by law enforcement agencies, the citation is considered a civil infraction and can’t go against a driver’s record or insurance. The city and Blue Line Solutions would split the revenues from payment of fines. The citations could still be challenged in the Smithville Municipal Court.
During a workshop Monday night, the mayor and aldermen met with Ryan Moore of Blue Line Solutions to learn more about the service.
Following the methodology of the successful “Click It or Ticket” campaign, Moore explained that Blue Line emphasizes the importance of public information and education combined with enforcement to change driving behaviors. Blue Line Solutions is dedicated to “strive for zero” – zero crashes, zero injuries, and zero fatalities, particularly in school zones.
Should the city enter into a contract (possibly for two years) with Blue Line Solutions, a traffic study would first be commissioned and funded by the city (estimated $15,000) and then Blue Line would reimburse the city. Moore provided results of a preliminary five-day traffic study which had already been done recently in the school zones on Highway 70 & 56 in Smithville.
Once another traffic study is conducted as required, Blue Line would install the technology including cameras, lights, and signage at the school zones on highway 70 at DCHS and DeKalb Middle School, on highway 56 near Northside Elementary School, and on highway 56 near the DeKalb Christian Academy. Blue Line would recoup its cost over time from the city’s share of fine proceeds.
“We will erect a photo enforced sign on every side street into a school zone and at the end of each school zone before you go in, we will put up a radar feedback sign on a 14-foot pole using LiDAR single beam technology. After they (motorists) pass that last sign, they will have between 300 and 600 feet to slow down. This will be lane specific meaning we will monitor both lanes going east and west on highway 70 & 56, so it catches everybody coming and going both ways,” said Moore.
In order to acclimate motorists to the new service, violators would receive a warning (by mail) for exceeding school zone speed limits for the first 30 days following the program’s start. After that, they would receive citations.
“We would put $225,000 into your infrastructure or $75,000 per school zone,” said Moore. “All the violations will come to us in Chattanooga. Our people are certified just as a dispatcher. A POST certified officer also has to review the citations. Tickets are then sent out by us and we collect and take care of all the money. On the 15th of every month you (city) will get a revenue report on how many people paid their fines,” said Moore.
“Our goal is to change driving habits,” explained Moore. “In Georgia, we have 300 cameras and cut speeding down by 94. 9% across the state last year”.
If the city enters into a contract with Blue Line Solutions, the service is not expected to be implemented until perhaps the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Braedon Jett Book Signing at Justin Potter Library
by: Dwayne PageJan 17, 2025
DeKalb County author Braedon Jett will be signing copies of his latest book “The Hilarious History of Your Bathroom: Crazy Funny Facts for Curious Kids” on Thursday, January 30th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Justin Potter Library. His first book was “Did People Have Beds Just for Eating Food? The Hilarious History of Everything in Your Bedroom.
Braedon is an author and an avid history enthusiast. He is a 2020 graduate of DeKalb County High School and a resident of Smithville.
His books are meant to be not just entertaining, but educational as well. His hope is that kids will become as fascinated with the world around them as possible. This book is filled to the brim with exciting nonfiction short stories and vividly entertaining illustrations that will spark your child’s imagination and curiosity. Every chapter is an adventure through time and a discovery of the most fascinating things that have happened in the progress of everything from toilet paper, to hair gel, to toothbrushes.
Braedon is excited to announce and invite the community to Justin Potter Library where he will be signing his new book. The book will be available to purchase for $10.00.
For further information contact Justin Potter Library at 615-597-4359. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram or our website at www.dekalblibraries.net.