SAVANNAH – On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, Dawson County’s Chief Lanier Swafford joined 14 fellow chiefs as one of the first certified by the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC) during the association’s 2016 Spring Executive Training Session in Savannah.

In its first year, the program is divided into three types of certifications: Georgia Volunteer Fire Chief Certification, Georgia Chief Fire Officer Certification and Georgia Fire Chief Certification.

“We developed this program to ensure that the fire departments in the state of Georgia have qualified, credentialed, and professional leaders and managers overseeing their departments and personnel,” said 1st Vice President of GAFC Dwayne Jamison.

Certification applicants self-apply and must meet four pre-requisites including holding a Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council (GFSTC) State Certification in at least one of the current

Fire Service Certifications and serving as a minimum of a Battalion Chief or Division Supervisor. Applicants were also assessed on a point system reflective of their years of service, higher education achievement, level of fire office certifications, recognition for additional credentials, and the completion of the Chief Fire Officer Level 8 hour classes.