Dawson County suspends the active search for Sidiki Kebe
Announcements, Community, Missing Persons, Police & Government July 5, 2022
Since Friday June 24, 2022, Dawson County Fire and EMS, along with the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and more than a dozen State of Georgia resources have actively searched by ground, air, water and canine over 1000 acres in and around the Amicalola Falls State Park for Sidiki “Prince” Kebe. At this time, we are suspending the active search unless, and until, any additional information is revealed. If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Sidiki, please contact the Dawson County non-emergency number at 706-344-3636. The case will remain open until he is located.
Outdoor burning not recommended this weekend
Press Release, Weather January 28, 2022
After viewing the latest weather conditions for the weekend, the Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services issued a statement:
Multiple weather hazards this weekend. We recommend no outdoor burning tomorrow. Also, please use caution when using alternative heating methods.
The Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services does not recommend outdoor burning due to dry and windy conditions.
Dawson County, National Guard open COVID-19 specimen collection site
News April 25, 2020
PRESS RELEASE
DAWSONVILLE, GA – Dawson County’s Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard will open a COVID-19 specimen collection site Sunday (Apr. 26) at Rock Creek Park to assist in Governor Kemp’s call for increased testing.
The State of Georgia has partnered with Augusta Medical for developing kits
and laboratory testing. The site will start testing patients at 10 a.m. on Sunday and remain open until 2 p.m. or until they have run out of test kits.
There are two ways to be tested at this site:
• Patients may go directly to Rock Creek Park and request to be tested without seeing a physician first.
• The National Guard will collect a specimen for any individual requesting a test.
• Patients will receive results within 72-96 hours.
• Patients are seen by their Primary Care Physician (PCP) OR the Dawson County Public Health Department.
• These appointments can be tele-med or conducted via phone interview.
• The PCP or Public Health Department will generate a PUI number.
• Once the patient has the PUI number, they can report to the collection site.
• Patients will receive results within 72-96 hours.
Rock Creek Park is located at 445 Martin Road, Dawsonville.
Laura Fulcher
The days and times the test site will be open will vary depending on the availability of test kits. For the most up-to-date information concerning the days and hours of operation for the test site patients can call (706) 344-3666.
Information can also be found on the Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services and Dawson County Government Facebook pages.
Together we can stop further spread of COVID-19 in our county and save lives.
The CDC says “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.”
Please continue to:
• Practice social distancing – keep at least 6 feet between yourself and other people.
• Wash your hands – use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer (60% alcohol) if soap and water aren’t readily available.
• Wear a mask – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of face
masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, especially where social distancing is difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.), and especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
For questions, please contact Laura Fulcher at (706) 344-3501.
Dawson County opens emergency shelter at Rock Creek Park
News April 12, 2020
PRESS RELEASE
Dawsonville, GA – Beginning at 8 p.m. on Sunday (April 12), Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services will open the emergency shelter at Rock Creek Park. Anyone seeking refuge will be required to wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of separation. Disinfectants will also be provided to keep citizens and the facility safe.
All guests will be asked the following questions:
- Have you or any member of your household been diagnosed with COVID-19?
- Have you or any member of your household had a fever of 100F or higher within the past 72 hours?
- Have you had close contact with anyone that has been diagnosed or suspected to have COVID-19?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then they will be provided alternate accommodations within the Rock Creek Park Recreation Center.
Citizens can sign up for Smart911 through the Dawson County Government website at https://www.dawsoncounty.org/emergency/page/emergency-notification. Smart911 is the emergency notification system that Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services uses to send alert messages that may include information on floods, fires, water emergencies, road closures, missing persons, evacuation orders, and weather emergencies.
Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services will monitor the weather throughout the evening. Once the line of storms has passed and when safe, they will assist citizens with returning to their homes.
Rock Creek Park is located at 445 Martin Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534.
Dawson County firefighters respond to back-to-back fires
News January 8, 2020
DAWSON COUNTY FIRE SERVICES
PRESS RELEASE
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County E911 received reports of a house fire off War Hill Park Rd. at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 8). The first arriving units found heavy fire from a single-wide mobile home. Personnel began defensive operations due to the amount of fire involvement. Personnel on scene were able to bring the fire under control within 20 minutes of arrival.
A male subject was life flighted from War Hill Park to Grady Memorial Hospital due to burn injures that were sustained in the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious in nature. Forsyth County Fire responded with mutual aid with an Engine, Rescue and Battalion Chief, as well as Lumpkin County with a med unit.
Caboose Lane fire
Dawson County E911 received reports for the second house fire off Caboose Lane at 1:31PM. Crews arrived on scene of a two story, single-family structure with smoke showing in the attic. Personnel made an aggressive interior attack on the fire, bringing it under control quickly.
There were no civilian injures noted at the Caboose Lane incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious in nature.
This is a good time to remind our community to be mindful and keep items at least 3 feet away from any heat source. At the first sign of fire, to always call 911 and get the fire department in route as soon as possible.
Photos Credits: Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services
Structure fire reported on Millsap-Wacaster Rd.
News December 21, 2019
Dawson County E911 received a call for a structure fire at 2:41 p.m. Friday for a private residence on Millsap-Wacaster Road. Fire units arrived on scene at 2:56, to find a single-family dwelling with heavy smoke and flames visible. Crews initiated an aggressive interior attack and a rapid search for the homeowner, who was initially unaccounted for on arrival.
The fire was declared under control at 3:16PM. Personnel began overhauling the scene for any hidden fires and remained on scene for several hours extinguishing “hotspots.” Investigators were also on scene. The origin of the fire has yet to be determined but it does not appear to be suspicious in nature. There are no injuries to firefighters or civilians.
Cherokee County Fire responded an Engine Company and Battalion Chief as a mutual aid request. Forsyth County Fire covered Fire Station 2 during the fire, until units were placed in-service.
Photo credits Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services
Fire Department responds to fire on Tanner Road
News November 26, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. –On November 21, Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services were dispatched to a residence on Tanner Road to a report of a smoke investigation.
While en route, units were updated that the incident was an actual residential structure fire. Units arrived on scene with flames on the front porch and through the front windows. The alarm was upgraded and additional units responded to the fire.
The first units arrived within five minutes of initial dispatch and reported heavy fire from all sides of a 1,620 square feet double wide Fleetwood mobile home. Crews used several hose lines and approximately 15,000 gallons of water to extinguish the fire.
Water was brought to the scene by a 3,000-gallon Water Tender from Dawson County Station 1 and a 3,000-gallon Water Tender from Lumpkin County Station 4. Forsyth County assisted by backfilling a fire station on the east side of the county while crews were busy at the scene.
There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
PHOTOS BY: Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Fire Station 8 volunteers a no-show at training submit their resignations instead
News December 7, 2018
Danny Thompson
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – As of Thursday (Dec. 6), Dawson County Fire Station 8 which serves the Wildcat Community is unmanned.
A tense situation came to a head on Tuesday when the 13 volunteer firefighters who work there refused a directive from Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson to attend a mandatory training session.
Thursday morning, Thompson summoned Lt. John Tarantini — who supervises Station 8 – to a meeting. “It was my intention to demote him back to support staff for failure to follow an order and insubordination,” Thompson said. “He declined to sign the paperwork and instead tendered his resignation.”
Tarantini also brought with him the resignation of the 12 other volunteers who work at Station 8, which Thompson accepted. That effectively closes the station for now. Station 6 on Hubbard Road in Big Canoe is the closest manned fire station to the Wildcat Community which lies in both Dawson and Pickens counties.
County Manager David Headley warned Tarantini that failure to attend Tuesday’s training session could have serious consequences.
In an email sent Tuesday (Dec. 4) Headley wrote: “Chief Thompson has directed you and the volunteer staff to attend training (per his commitment to the citizens) conducted by Dawson County. Should you choose not to do so or direct the volunteer staff not to comply with the direction you have been provided, then I will move forward in making other arrangements.”
How long the station will remain closed is uncertain. In a phone interview Thursday afternoon, Thompson said some volunteers had already called to ask if they could rescind their resignation. “I told them to get together and decide what they want to do as a group,” he said.
Fire Station 8 is operated under an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Pickens County that has been in effect since 2008. The IGA stipulates that Dawson County shall assume operation of the station and operate it as a substation of Dawson County Emergency Services. It also stipulates that Dawson County shall provide training, equipment and workers compensation insurance for the volunteer firefighters.
Under state law, volunteer firefighters are not allowed to engage in fire suppression activity (spraying water on the fire) until they receive their certification. The training Dawson County planned to provide would have helped them become certified.
“Be assured, that we will continue to keep our commitment to the citizens of Dawson County as we have always done,” Thompson said.
Tarantini was contacted for this article but declined to answer questions. However, in an email response, he wrote, “We are preparing an announcement to the communities concerning our decision to resign, why and what prompted that event, trust that I will copy you on that announcement.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
First responders get new swift water life jackets
News August 1, 2018
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services purchased and issued 26 new Type V Rescue Life Jackets. This new equipment will provide for the safety of First Responders operating in and around moving water. This is the first life vest purchase for Dawson County responders and it is a critical safety tool for personnel.
In May, first responders had two separate water rescue calls of victims trapped in fast moving waters. In one rescue, first responders had to establish a “high line” rope system to safely get the victims to shore. At that time responders in Dawson County did not have the Type V life jackets needed to operate safely.
Dawson County has over 60 shoreline miles on Lake Lanier, 5 rivers and numerous other creeks and ponds. This added tool to our Emergency Services Department is invaluable to ensure the safety of our responder’s and citizen’s. This purchase was made possible by funding allotted to us by our Dawson County Board of Commissioners.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
UPDATE: Friday fire on Carlisle Rd. beleived to be arson
News April 29, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services (DCFES) responded to a storage building belonging to Alberta Carlisle at 865 Carlisle Road Friday (April 26).
On arrival, Battalion 1, found a 20×20 outbuilding fully involved, with no exposures. Engine Companies 2 and 7 extinguished the fire using a single 1.75” attack line. The fire was rapidly extinguished and the area was overhauled.
Dawson County EMA Director/Fire Chief Danny Thompson said the fire is suspicious and a Monday press release from the State Fire Marshal’s Office indicated the fire is being investigated by his office, Dawson County EMS, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Dawson County Sheriff Office.
No injuries to civilians or fire service personnel were reported.
Safety Fire Commissioner Jim Beck is asking anyone with knowledge about this fire to call the Arson Hotline at 1‐800‐282‐5804. Rewards are offered of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist(s).
Calls are taken 24 hours a day and callers can choose to remain anonymous.
(Photos taken by Dawson County Fire & EMS)
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Firefighters battle blaze on Bannister Road
News June 24, 2019
Press Release
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services (DCFES) responded to a reported structure fire at 85 Bannister Rd. Crews at approximately 5:43 a.m. today where they battled blistering summertime heat and arrived to find a two story, 2000 sq/ft structure with heavy fire showing.
Personnel deployed multiple handlines and began an interior attack on the fire. Several vehicles and lawn equipment were involved in the fire.
Crews from Forsyth County responded and provided assistance due to the extreme temperature. The homeowner advised crews that all occupants had exited the building prior to fire department arrival. No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported on this scene.
“We are very glad there were no injuries from the fire or due to the heat,” stated Chief Thompson.
This incident is being investigated by Dawson County Fire Marshal’s office. The cause is still under investigation but appears to have started in a lawn mower. The structure has been turned over to the homeowner.
Photos were taken by Dawson County Fire & EMS.
For more information, please contact Chief Danny Thompson 678-410-1738
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Battalion Chief Dooley named Fire Officer of the Year
News December 18, 2018
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County Fire & Emergency Services hosted its annual awards banquet at Amicalola Lodge Friday.
Department Director Danny Thompson said, “This year was a very exciting year for the department and I am very proud of this year’s award recipients.”
Fire Officer of the Year was awarded to Battalion Chief Jason Dooley. Dooley is assigned to C-Shift but assists the department as the Deputy EMA Director. He deployed to south Georgia to assist after Hurricane Michael ravaged the state. “His dedication and commitment to the citizens of Dawson County is unparalleled,” Thompson said.
Tim Cameron received the Firefighter/Paramedic of the Year award. “Firefighter Cameron is one of the best Fire/Medics I have ever had the privilege to work with in my career,” Thompson said. “His positive attitude is contagious and he is highly respected among his peers.”
The Firefighter/EMT of the Year award went to Matt Harbin. Harbin is assigned to the Georgia Body Recover Team as a K-9 handler and has had numerous deployments over this year. “Harbin spent almost seven days in Mexico City Beach, Florida after Hurricane Michael,” Thompson said. “He has responded across the State of Georgia for missing person searches as well for searches here in Dawson County.”
Volunteer Firefighter of the Year was awarded to Randy Edwards. “Edwards offers back to his community over 48 hours a month,” said Thompson. “Once a week he rides a 12-hour shift with our personnel and provides excellent customer service.”
All award winners will be available for photos and interviews at Fire Station 1 Friday at 1 p.m.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Neighbor helps save family from house fire
Business, News November 27, 2018
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — A Dawson County man helped his neighbors escape from a burning home Saturday.
Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson said “Ken Goines assisted the family of three in getting out of the house safely before firefighters arrived. This is a courageous act by Mr. Goines, for placing himself in harms way to ensure the safety of others.”
DCFES units responded at 109 Richmond Drive and upon arrival of Engine and Med 1, they encountered a single-family dwelling with heavy flames showing from the garage area. Personnel immediately initiated fire suppression operations to control the fire.
Other arriving units began a search and rescue operation to ensure all occupants were out of the structure and to locate missing family pets. Dawson County personnel were able to locate and rescue seven felines from the structure.
The incident is being investigated by Dawson County Fire Marshall’s office. The cause is undetermined, pending further investigation. No injuries to civilians or fire service personnel were noted. All rescued pets were transported to Dawsonville Animal Hospital.
(Photo taken by Lt. Chris Archer, Dawson County Fire & EMS.)
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com