Rescue Squad Vs Emergency Management
There seems to be much interest in the Rescue Squad and the Emergency Management departments. Several questions and statements were left on another thread so I have started this one specific to this subject. Allen Barrett
posted by Allen Barrett | 10:33 AM
63 Comments:
This question was asked of me on another thread.
"Why doesn't the EMA Office report to an oversight committee? I understand that this office has a pretty sizable budget and that they are responsible for thousands of Federal grant dollars. What grant funding has this county received? where does that money go? Rescue Squad? EMA office? Sherrif? Police? Ambulance Service? Who oversees the funds and makes sure that they are spent as they should?
I use to read many newspaper articles about Federal funding and where those funds were spent. I have not seen an article over the past year. Are we no longer receiving funds?
How much is the EMA office costing us? It use to be free."
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 9:14:00 AM
I don't have an answer as to why the EMA doesn't answer to an "oversight committee" other than The County Executive has been allowed to control this department with no or few questions asked.
According to the budget that ended 30 June 2009 the Rescue Squad had a total line item approved by the Budget Committee of $215,000.00.
The Emergency Management Office had a total line item approved by the Budget Committee of $120,973.00. This budget included salaries of $36.000.00 and 18,025.00.
There are a number of Federal and State Grants received by different departments each year, they are primarily managed by the Financial Management Office.
You are right in remembering that not long ago the EMA was a volunteer position. For several years Mr. Billard held this position at his own expense. It's my understanding that when the County Executive began pushing for this to be a paid position Mr. Billard wasn't considered. Allen Barrett
If your budget figures are correct, why does the Rescue Squad pay for anything the EMA Office does? I realize that our County does not require detailed line-item budgets or expense reports; but what does the remaining $66,948.00 pay for (this excludes the $54,025.00 for salaries.
Not a bad deal for us County taxpayers who got a free servcie and noy pay almost $139K. Looks like sound financial management to me.
I also was told by an employee of the Maury County EMA office that the State pays for some of their salaries. Is that ture for Giles County? If so how much does the State pay?
What grant money has this office received in 2009 and 2010? And, where was it spent? It is out tax funds by the way and we should care.
JAT
the reason that mr.billard wasnt asked to be the paid director is because the curent director and ms. van. ran his name threw the mud and used anything they could to finaly get him out of the office. as far as to where the money goes thats a good question that a LOT of people would like to know. there is some invested in there big van they keep hid at the jail im sure.
Is the rescue squad still volunteer? I know they go door to door for donations.
Financial Management calls for a line item budget. Bill Holt is the chairman of the budget committee and a member of the financial management committee. That committee was to have held a meeting way back in July but put it off. For how long for Pete's sake......? Bill Holt plays a huge part in answers not being given to expenses. Its his job to give answers.
I am glad this topic has finally been addressed. Mr. Whit wears so many hats its good he is finally compensated for some of it. I do have a problem with the position that was created for his assistant Mr. Lemere. I have noticed he is driving a government vehicle now. I have also seen the Mobil Emergency Command Unit parked at his home several times. If this job was done by one person free of charge for so long then why dose the same task now require two paid employees. I believe many citizens in the county do not even know what this office and its employees do, myself included. I do know this is something they tell us we have to have similar to the four full time deputies we have setting in the courthouse all day “we just had to have”. I am not being critical of anyone but I would like to know more about this office and what this $54,000 is paying for. I would also like to know if Mr. Whit and Mr. Lemere are still getting paid by the county for their work at the EMA office while they are responding and working for the rescue squad on calls, training ect. Their work as rescue squad members is supposed to be volunteered just as the rest of the squad members work for free. I appreciate and am thankful for all these people do taking their own free time to help citizens. If anyone can shed some light on any of my questions please post them.
yes they are paid to respond to rescue squad calls all the time and drive them to the calls at the countys cost(or really the squads fuel bill) to do this.mr.whitt does wear many hats but from what my son tells me who is a squad member the hat of many colors is running the squad into the ground by allowing the ema to run and fund only the projects they want, also why does mr.whitt allow members who are convicted of arson to be members of a fire dept and why does mr.whit also allow two convicted sexual offenders to be members that respond to calls?,regaurdless of the problem i dont think i would like them to be around my youngest children,would you? and why does he work so hard to keep this quiet and punish members who talk about? my son asked one of his superiours about it and he was told he could talk about it and advised my son not to also other wise barry would have him kicked out! what kind of deptarment is being run with our tax paying money that allows this?
Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:59:00 AM
You aer correct i know for a fact there is a member of the Giles County Rescue Squad that has been charged with arson on more than one occasion. These actions did not occur in this county but they happend. As for the sex offenders I know of one but not sure about the other.
EMA operates under Janet Vanzant. These questions need to be put to her in a public meeting. Lets see what the answers are.
Since we are at it......why did Mr. Whitt threaten to cut Rescue Squad funding if not re-elected as County Fire Chief. I understand the Mr. lamier was going to run as Fire Chief and Mr. Whitt said that he would be sure that the Squad funding would be cut if Lamier was elected.
Thant sounds like a team player who has be best interest of his fellow citizens at heart
JS
Lets dont let this turn into a bashing of Mr. Whitt. This topic started out asking valid questions. Now instead of finding answers were pointing fingers. Lets not forget Mr. Whitt has gived almost half of his life time to the squad for free untill just recently, can we just one time stick to the topic without bashing someone. If any one has answers to these questions chime in
Look at Whitt's past history. He needs bashing.
I am a past member and know that Mr Whitt has his faults like we all do but he has the best intrest of the county in mind when it comes to the squad. That used to be better known as a circus until he came along and now those guys have training oppertunity's and much better equipment which in turns helps the county. Now as for as the EMA I do not agree on how that came about my self. I do not think they need two of them and the other needs to slow down and has an atitude problem. Mr. whitt does do a good job. As far as elections goes if Lamier gets chief I think the county will cut out the donation that they give the squad because of his "tude". Barry is not running again after this term. There are some problems in squad and will be until they county takes it over and puts in a full time chief.
If Barry is a good cheif, why is there problems now ? Too may irons in the fire ?
Good Evening All,
Yes, The Giles County Fire and Rescue does have its share of problems as do all businesses. Can anyone tell me of a company that doesn't have an unhappy employee? Giles County Fire and Rescue has a core group of dedicated professional people that are here to help all. There seems to be alot of comments from people on here that are going off of rumors. Has any one of you called the chief or requested a meeting? My guess is no because I would have heard about it. When was the last time any of you ran into a burning building? held a injured person at a wreck? Or held a family back from seeing their deceased love one? Now, couple that with us responding 24 hours a day seven days a week for absolutely no pay? We do the best we can with very little resources. The above amount of last years donation from the county being $215000 is incorrect. It was $200,000. Let's do some basic math here folks. Insurance on the buildings and vehicles is $63000. then minus workmans comp at $16,000. Ok anyone getting the picture yet? Minus another $14000 for the purchase of propane to get the stations through the winter. Yes, its necessary, the water in the trucks would freeze which would rupture the lines in the trucks leaving them useless. Monthly bills which include phone, electric are a couple thousand a month. Fuel runs about $2000 a month also. Maintanance on the trucks is not cheap either. Mr. Whitt has done a wonderful job and so have all the other responding members of GCFR. Training has been increased in the past few years and several of us are certified firefighters (yes, we are held to the same standards as any full time fire department) If anyone has a question why don't they just ask instead of blogging about it? If your searching for the truthful answers you should ask people that know the answer not those that think they know the answer. We do our best in extraordinary circumstances.Please support us instead of bashing us. I leave you with a repeat of the initial question. Can anyone name a company or organization that does not have one unhappy employee?
good post
Dear Mr or Ms. Anonymous,
After doing some research it appears that Emergency Management is a requirement of the state of Tn. Under Tn State law the EMA director is to report directly to the County Executive. I called Mr. Lemire to ask him some generalquestions regarding his position. I believe I was mis-informed when believing the position was created just for him. He stated that he applied for the job after a posting in our local paper. He was unsure of who or how many persons applied for the job.
After a pleasant conversation with him I came away with a different veiw of him. He appears to be a well educated and well trained member of his department. I'm not sure what contact the person that says he has a "tude" has had with him in the past but he appears to be a confident person. Could that be mistaken as an attitude? I would welcome an opportunity to have an open forum meeting with him and Mr. Whitt and get to the bottom of what appears to be a witchhunt. As an avid reader of this blog, it appears we have lost the purpose for it. It should be informational and a place to exchange veiws. The rumor mill is working overtime here. More facts and less gossip would be appreciated
Can you people please learn how to spell? Thanks!
12:17
Although I do know who Lemiere is, I dont know him. What I believe people are upset about is for many years Mr. Pierre Billard gave of his time and vehicle free of charge. He was EMA Director but was not paid. Next thing we know, the director's job is advertised and filled with Barry Whitt. Mr. Whitt gets private office space, plus special equipment. He then gets a vehicle and a nice budget. Then a 4 x 4 vehicle. Then he needs an assistant. Gets it. All of this previously done free by Mr. Billard. I acknowledge these jobs were advertised but dont you realize that is just a formallly the county executive and others holding office in the county go through? People are hand-picked and promised the jobs long before they are advertised. Have you not noticed how the "State mandated" jobs have increased under Vanzant? Has anyone seen the documents that mandate? NO>
I agree with the original post that an oversight committee would be a great checks and balance for these departments. One that is unbiased and unrelated to the department they are watching over.
As for the above post why hash over what Mr. Billard voluntarily took on? The position is warranted as a paid job. Odds are no one will volunteer without motive. Not sure why Mr. Billard did but it is for sure that paying a candidate with clear mandates on the jobs requirements is the right way to go.
Has this county hired more than necessary jobs "mandated" by the State? Investigate that before you accuse anyone. It could be this county has operated under the radar of State requirements to the point of fines and lawsuits? Unfortunate that government has become so trenched in required positions and this area has few candidates with the backgrounds to oversee them.
Now is the time to run as lean as possible in government and in all areas of services. And, if a volunteer has a criminal history of any kind that is unacceptable. Weeding out those that volunteer for "service" vs. self serving individuals comes from the top down. Unfortunately there are far more with a "what's in it for me" attitude then for doing their best work for the good of all. Ask yourself if you would do any government position without benefits,salary, networking prospect, and or benefit of any kind? Some would but many more feel put out by their selfless acts. That attitude bleeds out to the job they do. I know of many who work in this county voluntarily at church, charities, schools,organizations, and for each other. For those who give without expectation or benefit we are all most fortunate. Even so regulating a volunteer and criticism is nearly impossible as the volunteer can clearly walk away or serve less.
all iknow is this the members want mr.whitt out because hes doing a poor job as chief,and him and mr.lemere are useing there ema position to push the rescue squad into the ground,mr.whitt did tell promice to cut have the funding cut for the rescue squad and how is a felon allow to work at ema?
To Sept 20, 9:37. Guess you are one of those that if a person makes a mistake they live with it forever because of people like you. Guess you have never done anything wrong in your life. Also If someone is a felon and working at ema why dont you prove it and also prove the fact they can or can't work at a public job. If your statement is true why did you not post the facts instead of accusations? Guess you go on hearsay and assumptions about people not facts.
Do you realize making unsubstantiated claims can be viewed as slander and libel under the law.
Maybe the Rescue Squad and the EMA views unsubstantiated claims as libel and slander, but the Giles County School Board does not. Someone keeps dropping ominous hints about finding out who is posting what-If that is true which I doubt, I wish them good luck and please educate the entire school board on vocabulary including the director. They are either totally ignorant, indifferent, or guilty of gross discrimination. (or maybe all of the above) Not another LOGICAL explanation.
not to mud sling or add fuel to the fire but who ever wrote that comment about the felony might be on to something,if you do a little research you will be suprised what you find,this was found on a public website and brought to my attention,now i dont know what happened or the status is but here is some facts.
http://courtconnect.courts.ri.gov/pls/ri_adult/ck_public_qry_cpty.cp_personcase_setup_idx
id# 09307636
Good luck trying to access this website, seems like once again someone is trying to bring in the bogyman to scare people out of posting. Absurd attempt with an equally absurd result and unfounded fear.
I don't believe the author of the post regarding slander was trying to invoke fear nor do I believe he/she was threatening. What I do believe is that this blog is full of cowards. How can you say you have the county in your best interest if you refuse to stand up and challenge the powers that be? Better yet, do you even have any actual proof of any wrongdoing? Stop sneaking around and ask the tough questions! This has become a pathetic witchhunt! I would love to be a fly on the wall of any one of your families. We all have black sheep and skeletons in the closet. Let the people with the skill and expertise to do their assigned jobs and let the volunteer firefighters of this county continue to risk their lives to save others. It could be any one of us that needs to call for them next.
I have never needed the service of the rescue squad and hope I never do, but I am still greatful for all their volunteer and dangerous work they put in to saying peoples lives. It takes special people to put their lives on the line for people they don't even know.
I think conspiracy to robbery is a big thing!!!!! And just so that you know the case number is P1-1993-3468B. Although the 5 year sentence was suspended to 5 years of probation, I think this is something that should be examined in depth for someone holding his position.
For Sept 21 at 7:43 .... ansd the answer is....... as copied from the web site
Case Description
Case ID: P1-1993-3468B - DEREK LEMIRE
Court : (SC) SUPERIOR COURT Location : (P) PROVIDENCE COUNTY
Filing Date: Tuesday , July 20th, 1993
Type: F - FELONY
Status: ZDISP - CASE DISPOSED
Arrest Information
Arresting Agency : PAWTUCKET POLICE DEPARTMENT
Charges
Charge# Charge Disposition / Date Sentence / Judge
1 ROBBERY DISMISSED 48A
30-DEC-94
2 CONSPIRACY PLEA OF NOLO CONTENDERE
30-DEC-94 SUSPENDED 5 Years
PFEIFFER,JUDGE
PROBATION 5 Years
PFEIFFER,JUDGE
COURT COSTS
PFEIFFER,JUDGE
*Sigh* Looking at the dates of the robbery charges 1993/94 would put the incident to have taken place about 16 years ago, at least. If I remeber his age correctly, these incidents would have taken place in his late teenage years or early adulthood. How dare anyone of you point fingers when you do not know the background or what happened. He was a kid! Now I am not saying that anything done in that time period of our lives should be dismissed but I am saying that dependig on the situation he should not have to pay for the rest of his life for something he did in adolences. If he robbed a bank at gunpoint and took a hostage or two, maybe. Don't point fingers and try to ruin someones name that they have worked hard for. I would love someone to dig in your past and pull out the skelltens in your closet. Mr. Lemire has put in many hours of unpaid time, wrote grants and got this county money, and spent a lot of his own money. Look at the good that has been done in the county with his help
I totally agree with the above post. I know for a fact that between the EMA and Rescue Squad Mr Lemire sometimes puts in 80+ hours a week. The Rescue Squad is all volunteer so he isn't reimbursed for his time. He does it to help people. So whatever you might have pulled up from 16+years ago it would appear that he has totally turned his life around and is putting his time and life on the line to help the community. Can you say the same?
I thought the Giles county hiring policy was that you could not be hired if you had any criminal background? I also thought they did a background check before hiring? What happened or did not happen on this one? Would Vanzant do the hiring for this?
Well with all the bashing of Mr. Whitt should stop cause all you are doing is trying to run off a good person that has put a lot of time in with the rescue squad an other organizations. The position of EMA director is a big responsibility. He is responsible for make sure the different departments are prepared an trained for the possible things that could happen in the future.
An far as the boys from the rescue squad should thank there lucky stars they have him as chief. I am an former squad member an setting back an looking in now. They have better equipment an better training. He has took a rag tag team of guys an turned there organization into a respectable bunch of guys. As far as the situation with the person in question for being a sex offender well that is a different story. I do not know how that will work but that person was honest about just leave it alone.
For Mr. Lemire I do not know him just have heard rumor which should not be considered until there is proof of it. An we all have made mistakes in our life time an should not have them hung over our heads. An far as the attitude well have only met the man once or twice an seen no signs of that but that is those folks opinion an that is there right.
To inform people about what there rescue squad is all about. It is not just fire fighting it is consisted of farm rescue,school bus rescue,extrication units, hazmat service, swift water rescue,dive teams, an the list can go on an on. An personally the extrication units justify there need in our county. Cause who else is going to do it. Our Ambulance service. They have more on there plate than they can handle now. They should be concerned with medical only. I know that for a fact i have been extricated before an how the Ambulance service an the rescue squad worked together was remarkable. An they done what they had to do in my best interest of my health.
I love this county an it shames me to know there are people out there that wants to be petty about things like this. But these men an women of the rescue squad need our respect,our help,an our gratitude for what they do. An I do men help u can volunteer to help them on such things as missing persons other things they do. Buy just asking to talk to the I.C.(indecent commander). So lets stop criticizing an start helping them out more.
a concerned citizen
Excellent Post!
Why cant this be investigated by an out side agency like the T.B.I. ,so cant anything be swept under the rug?
maybe we should wonder why there is a port a potty sitting outside the lynville station of the ambulance service. what is going on there???
if the beloved fire chief would allow them in the building more maybe they wouldnt have to find other means
Another person who doesn't know what they are talking about. The portable bathroom is at the Richland station not lynnville. Next, noone has ever not been allowed access to the fire hall, as a matter of fact, The ems service has keys to the building. Next, the EMS service has been using the water and electric from the Fire hall without reimbursement for several years now. So please get your facts before posting here! They are a welcome part of the area and have saved many lives by being in Richland. The septic system is backed up due to all the rain as of late and the problem is being corrected. How dare you blame this on the chief or any other member of the FD! We all do the best we can with very limited funds!Why dont you do the math there are 28,000 people living in Giles County. The fire department gets 195000 dollars as a budget. Thats only $6.96 a year! Surely, there is something more worthy of complaining about
Excellant post again. The toilet issue is just a simple case of someone not minding there own business, and putting their two cents in and trying to cause trouble. Fire and EMS work side by side in many situations and it is not one agency against the other. I have been on many fire/wreck calls where if it wasn't for the team work between the two, innocent lives would have been lost. I have also been on calls where firefighters have ended up in the hospital and the onsight care from ems allowed the firefighters to get the best care possible
So anyway, Lets get back on the subject. Did we forget what that was? Rescue squad vs Emergency Management!!! NOT who can use whose potty, I mean, come on!!! To all those on here who do not know what they are talking about, butt out, educate yourself, then place your opinion. I understand that for budget reasons, job discriptions, and chains of command are concerned there needs to be a line between the two agencys but when your house is on fire and Derek and/or Berry show up, your are not going to care what hat they are wearing. You will only care that you and your loved ones make it out of the house safe and alive. So stop causing anymore trouble for the squad then there has been. Those men and women risk their lives to save you and your family and your personal belongings, use their own money for gas to go on these calls or to the station to get the proper trucks. Do you really think that they are that selfish that they won't share a toilet? GROW UP!!!
Thank you! Nice to see at least one other person uses common sense.
im glad to that the ema office has thernew mobile command unit but why did they lease it to the squad for them to use there budget to fuel and maintaine it? and why wasnt the work of the squad memebers that helped work on makeing it what it was (my son inclued)? for those who ask for proff about this ask for a copy of the rescue squad meeting notes from a few months back, i read my sons copy when it was "leased" and see what the ema office says.
OK. Here we go again. The GCFR was asked if they wanted to share costs for the command unit as the minutes state. A unanimous vote then took place. It never did come to fruition though. Because of people like yourself that are not given the facts and draw the wrong conclusions. No GCFR money was used nor was the unit leased to the fire department. If you were to do some research you would find that the unit is registered to the county and also insured. A few of us did volunteer some time helping gut the unit. But were never asked to help. Some of us just did it to take some of the weight off of the person who did all the other work for ema.Not to mention that it will also benefit GCFR. Please call or ask them to provide receipts as I am sure they can prove where all the money came from. I don't think you all understand that money just cant be spent on anything they deem fit but rather due to grant restrictions are required to prove all purchases. I am not sure who your son is but I thank him for his service. But please don't draw conclusions off of what he may bring home for you to read.
Why is it that not one of these posts has a name above it?
Mr. Risner I see a name on your post but I do not see that you expressed an thoughts or made any comments on anything of importannce other than knowing who the posters are. Which is more important knowing who someone is or knowing how people feel about blog items?
In a country where my vote is private and secret why are you so interested in a name attached to an opinion. Are you trying to get in with the people in power?
If you interested in finding out if there are more than one or two bloggers then you need to just read and compare writing skills etc to find out there are many contributors.
Melanie
All of of you need to get your facts straight before you post something on here. If want to post things that are hearsay or assumptionsat at least have the cahunas to put your name on it where the fact can be told to you.
Saturday Oct 3 4:17 P. M.
I'm sure that you will tell us the facts even if we don't sign our name to any posts.
But the way I don't see your name.
Melanie
I was simply making an observation that while there were several people who have very strong opinions on this subject none posted under a name.Call me old natured but I believe that an opinion only carries as much weight as the integrity of its maker. Without the name of the person stating an opinion it is impossible to determine the value of it.
Nick, you are wise beyond your years. Good luck changing the minds of the uneducated and ill-informed people that have posted here. If only they would come forward and ask questions instead of jumping to conclusions things would be so much easier. We, in this country have first amendment rights but those rights can be abused. There is nothing wrong with going after someone if you have evidence but to accuse someone without it is slander. Would you all want it done to you? I think not. Why would you want to do it to someone else? I guess this is one more question that I will never get answered.
since we are asking about about squad ema spending,when i was in the squad many moons ago we werent allowed to make money from the rescue squad squad but i learn that the chief fixes squad trucks at his shop at a cost,isnt this a violation of there own rules and if so why is it going on? at a least wouldnt this be another conflict? i see it as a concern that trucks go to his shop to get fixed and his wife pays bills for the squad? humm,this dosent sound right.
berry started out as a very good chief of the squad.when he and derke hooked up thinks started going down hill fast.berry had the sqauds best intrest in mind to get them out of debt, to get the training up to par to make it a respectable dept. it was until he got involved with politics.they need a term limit on the chief postion at the squad.is ther a conflict in interset for him beeing chief and e.m.a. director? i think so ema and the squad are two different orag. if there is a large wreck on 65 with haz-mat and pin in in other vechicals,alot of different org. coming in the asst. chief out of the area say at work what is berry going to do had=ndle it all i was in the fire service for over 20 years full time in nashville and vol. in many different deptments. i have seen first hand that one man can not handle what berry has taken on he needs to think about the best interest of the county not his need for power.derke is a very smart person no body is saying other wise he is very good as a firefighter but not as a people person.he would run the squad into the ground as chief and will try to get ema if the oppurtinty persents itself.the school bus passing ticket for the ones who dont know was sweep under the rug. state law states that you are not to pass a school bus derke did while it was stopped to unload and that was sweep under the rug.while an ex-asst chief almost lost his full time job over passing a bus that wasnt stopped and berry did nothing on his behalf. beryy and derke both spent county gas to go to fire calls and that has nothing to do with ema?
Call me a fool for reading this crap but someone has to defend Derick. I have known him for years and he will go out of his way for anyone! I went ahead and called him to ask him about a ticket for passing a school bus and he knew of no such thing. He did however laugh. He stated that he has only received 1 ticket in Giles county and that was for speeding some 5 years ago. He even remembered the troopers name. It should be considered public record so please go do your research! As for EMA, someone should go and watch who does all the work and who just sits there when he shows up. Who has brought the training into the county? Who does the reports? I know this for a fact. Unlike you people, I speak the truth. Also, look at who has more training and is qualified for the job, I think you will be surprised. As a matter of fact, Derick is in training now out of town. He is the one that has brought the training in for us!Derick is a people person around people that he knows. He is a Yankee. is that the reason you dont like him? He has alwys spoken the truth around us and when called gets things done, unlike the others of rank. Please, stop critizizing the person that has done so much and makes his counterparts look good. It needs to be a team and will never happen without you all picking it apart
Kudos to the above post! I know alot of the members of the rescue squad respect Derek and that is what it takes to make any team successful. I know that Derek joined the rescue squad to help people. The same for taking the position at EMA. He is doing it for you! To help the community!
He has spent thousands of his own money whether it be in gas, donations, time, etc. for the last 5+ years to give back to Giles County. Plus he pays property taxes! If you look in a previous post this only averages out to $6.96 per household contributed towards the squad. Alot of the EMA has been funded through grants that you guessed it were written by Derek!I would say that is a small price to pay to know that you are going to have a dedicated team (of what some of you call misfits) to save your house or your
life! Some of you need to get a clue!
going to speak my mind here because this is all bull! If Barry had a wreck to work on the interstate with hazmat do you know what he would do? He would call someone that has years of training in this sorta thing. The nan has given so much to the fire dept over the years but has not attended any training in hazmat so he would be lost. Does anyone know who he would call? Thats right, he would call derek why? because he is trained! Derek is the on e that has gotten all of us our hazmat training also. Does anyone realize that it takes over 180 hours of training to become a hazmat tech? As far as I know the fire dept only has one that is certified. Anyone want to guess who it is? Once again, you would be correct to answer Derek. Why do you all make up lies to hang someone you don't know? Derek, I am sure you dont read this bs but if you do, Thank you! I am glad you have got our backs in this county of backstabbers!!!!!!!!!
Well finally it seems as if someone is commenting here who knows what they are talking about. I'm not going to point fingers about who does this and who does that. I don't know Pierre, I dont know how Chief Whitt got the EMA Directors position. I do however know that the reason that certain people think the EMA office is abusing finances is because the money is being spent where it should be, you don't see it because it is not sitting in a fund somewhere it is going to programs and to pay the people that keep it going. These are also the people who go out in the middle of the night when there is a meth lab bust, or a tractor trailer turns over, or a highway paving project spills road oil everywhere. These are also the people who call you at 3 A.M. when a tornado is fixing to come through your community. Who cares who drives what or how big the mobile command is bottom line is Giles County needs Barry Whitt and Derek Lemire they are both knowledgeable in what they do and are an asset to this county. If you are unhappy with the way the EMA office is ran call other counties ask them what kind of sever weather warnings they have implemented, ask them what their response time would be to a hazardous material spill and what kind of training do they have in handling this kind of spill. I'm sure you will be surprised to know we as a county are way ahead of the game when it comes to Emergency Management. Im not going to tell you to call and ask Derek or Barry about any questions you may have, but I will say you should call and thank them for the time they put in for this county and the people who not only live here but for those traveling the 22 miles of interstate that runs through this county also. I am a squad member not past but present, I have lived in this community my entire life. The training we receive as squad members is top notch, we go to the same fire academy as any paid dept in the state, we have approx 12 members who will achieve haz mat technician level in March, we have numerous members trained to do vehicle extrication, we also have members trained to do swift water and dive rescue. We get this training because we have people like Barry Whitt, Marcus Harney, Derek Lemire and Wendel Dawson who make sure when we get on a scene we are precise, efficient and professional in everything we do. So the next time you wanna blog about something how about you ask why the Rescue Squad was cut by $5,000, ask why some commissioners wanted to do away with the squad all together, why would they want to close the North Station of the ambulance service. Come on people Giles County Rescue Squad, Giles EMA and Giles EMS are here for you, don't try and pick us apart, support us, back us, and thank us but don't think for one minute we would steal or under mind the very community we have volunteered many hours of schooling, training, and time away from our family to protect.
Giles County Fire and Rescue has its downfalls but I would like for you to go to any volunteer organization and tell me they are purfect. It is run by humans and humans makes mistakes but when it comes to doing their job i.e. fighting fires, extricating, tornado clean up, directing traffic for events, swift water rescues, school bus rescues, big rig rescues, meth labs, etc THEY GET THE JOB DONE. And they do it as good, if not better then a lot of the paid organizations that I have been associated with. And for that we can thank
Barry Whit
Marcus Harney
Wendel Dawson
Derek Lemire
Nick Risner
Dennis Russel
Shane Armstrong
Tony Krouse
Jeremy Holley
and so many more of the members past and present. Ive seen these men put in hundreds of hours a month each for the squad.
EMA is Mr. Whitts and Mr. Lemires paid job whereas the volunteer their time to the squad. If an event comes where Mr. Whitt and Mr. Lemire have to be there as EMA there is still the Asst cheif and North dist cheif that can be in command for the squad. Chief is an elected position and to be elected you the people around you must have some type of faith in you. When the people who are voting for you are the people who are working beside you they must have faith that you can hold that postition.
Thank you men and women of the Giles County Fire and Rescue and especially thank you to the men listed above. No, I am not a squad member but I am a proud supporter of the orginization as a whole. And you will be too when your life was saved by these people
Not sure who wrote this last post but to you I say THANK YOU. Some of us try and give are all while others just want to throw negative remarks are way. I am glad to know someone cares and we appreciate hearing from you. Tell everyone you know about how certain people of this county are trying to attack and accuse the persons that literally will give their life to help others. We need more people like you. Thank you.If we all stand up to the bullies that throw around accusations instead of talking out their differences maybe we can become a progressive place to live without the poverty that is plagueing Giles County today. To those that accuse and comment without knowledge of the facts please remember the old saying " knowledge is power" Ask questions of those in question and stop falling into the gossip trap. Thank you also
For those who still say that you need facts aboyt the rescue squad/ema members being felons heres a few more.
Clinton Judd Clausel
Date of Birth: 09/03/1970
Race: w
Sex:
Height: 602
Weight: 170
Eye Color: hazel
Hair Color: brown
HOME ADDRESS: 1035 braly hollow road
County of Residence: giles
Supervision Site:
parole/prob OFFICER: giles co so
SECONDARY ADDRESS:
Last Date Information Updated:
Last Registration / Report Date:
Status: active
Classification: sexual
Tid:
driver license no: 0712113820
license state: tn
TBI Home Page TICIC Home Page Sexual Predator Links Map Offenders SOR Hotline 1-888-837-4170
Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation
Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry Search Details
*Note: In the field entitled Last Registration/Report Date, the term "Not Available" indicates The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not received offender information as directed by T.C.A. 40-39-201 et. seq. The Website is updated daily based on information submitted to the TBI.
12/04/2002 SEXUAL BATTERY
And the second,
NAME: SHANE AUSTIN ARMSTRONG
Date of Birth: 05-06-1976
Race: W
Sex: M
Height: 5-1 Weight: 250
Eye Color: BROWN
Hair Color: BROWN
HOME ADDRESS: 1749 ELKTON PIKE 29 PULASKI TN 38478
County of Residence: GILES
Supervision Site:BOPP DIST.5 COLUMBIA
parole/prob OFFICER:ALLEN,MICHAEL
SECONDARY ADDRESS:
Last Date Information Updated:
Last Registration / Report Date: 10/14/2009
Status: ACTIVE
Classification: SEXUAL
Tid: 00324978
driver license no: 083873019
license state:
TBI Home Page TICIC Home Page Sexual Predator Links Map Offenders SOR Hotline 1-888-837-4170
Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation
Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry Search Details
*Note: In the field entitled Last Registration/Report Date, the term "Not Available" indicates The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not received offender information as directed by T.C.A. 40-39-201 et. seq. The Website is updated daily based on information submitted to the TBI.
02/03/2009 AGGRAVATED STATUTORY RAPE
Now this is number two and three at my count if you count mr.lemere who is rescue squad ema. so the question i would like to know is why is it that there county commision,the rescue squad, ema ,and the sherrifs dept. all know about this but yet nothing is done? what are we waiting for these people to kill someone before something is done about it or is this going to becontinued to be swept under the rug?
again to the person above who doesn't know their information. Mr. Armstrong took a leave before he was ever charged so that his issues would not effect the squad and did not return when it was up by his own choice.
well to all that have posted negative comments or that dont like the people that are in the rescue squad please i beg of you get an application join us, come and do what we do for free. in a world where you can barely get a teenager to flip burgers for minimum wage because they think they should be making more, the pickin gets even slimer for free help. so quit your moaning, griping and bitching and do something for the community of giles county other than sitting on your fat asses looking at the internet all day.
from what i have been told if you need the squad for anything that you would want them in a hurry like a wreck with someone trapped or a house fire its going to take them longer to get there now since they cant respond wiith their red light if they come in their personal vehicle anymore thank to their chief barry whitt. he told them they was not going to cover them like they have in the past so he banned them from doing it and said if they are caught running their light on their personal vehicle they would be kick off the rescue squad. therefore critical time will be lose due to having to wait on traffic if someone needs them in a hurry.i pray for anyone that needs their help.
First, I suggest that anyone that has a problem with the rescue squad members in ANY way, remember what this organization is about. It's about saving lives... and I can promise you that if you are in a burning building or car, a car that has been rolled and you're pinned in, your kids are in a school bus wreck where they are pinned in, your farm is on fire, or you're drowning in swift currents, you won't care who pulls you out or puts out that fire as long as lives and/or property are saved. Their past mistakes won't make a bit of difference to you then... NO MATTER WHAT THE MISTAKE MAY BE! So while you're judging people... do you know Mr. Clausel or Mr. Armstrong and the FACTS of their cases? How about Mr. Lemire? Do you know him and the FACTS of his case? Were any of you who are judging them by their past, their lawyers for their cases? Probably NOT. These are all good men who have spent years helping this community by saving lives and the material possessions that we treasure so much. It's obvious that the ones that are criticizing these men have never had their house fires put out or been extricated from their vehicles, because IF you had, you would not have been running their names into the mud, instead you would be praising these men for a job well done. They have been trained to save our lives in the safest and most efficient ways possible. There are 8 stations across our county and I'm certain there are other members who have made mistakes in their lives... every person has made mistakes. No one is perfect. All of these men and women who bust their butts during vigorous training in extreme heat, and sometimes cold, do it because that's what they LOVE. They don't do it for the glory and most of them never hear a "Thank You" uttered from any of the lives they save and it doesn't matter to them. And if you think you could do what they give their hearts to do, then I suggest you do what Mr. Holley suggested and fill out an application and join this team of men and women who give their all and sacrifice time spent with their loved one to save yours. I have had experience with the GCFR and the good that has come out of all of the hours of training. My home was on fire and if not for people like Mr. Clausel, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Lemire it wouldn't be standing today. Do any of you know how many hours a month these men put in for GCFR? Mr. Clausel, until recently, put in more hours than anyone at his station. During his active membership,Mr. Armstrong put in more hours at his respective station than anyone. The same goes for Mr.Lemire. If you had to choose between losing your life or letting one of these men save you... I promise their criminal record wouldn't make a damn bit of difference then. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Only God can judge them and until you take His place, you don't have the right.
Second, I also agree with Mr. Holley, that if you want something legitimate to complain about, how about you start with why they cut the GCFR budget by $5000. That money could buy turnout gear that some of the members need because theirs has been through so much they have holes in them and they take a risk of getting burned. It could go towards more training for the squad. And as far as the commissioners who wanted to kill the squad all together... who would you call if you lived out on Weakly Creek Rd., Happy Hill Rd., Kerr Hill Rd., Fall River Rd., Access Rd., Blackburn Hollow, Veto Rd.,or Pigeon Roost and your house caught on fire? The PFD, EFD, or MHFD? Do you know how long it would take them to get there? That's why there's a stations in Rose Hill, Lynnville, Richland, Anthony Hill, Frankewing, Prospect, Brick Church, and Pulaski. What if no one answered the call? You should all be so thankful that there are people in this community that are willing to risk their lives and have your backs in tragic times even when you don't have theirs in the simplest of times.
First I want to say THANK YOU to all of the men and women of the rescue squad who give of their time, gas and put their lives on the line to keep us safe. I am truly appreciative for all you do to make our community better and safer. I also want to say to those who have not only put down but have also put personal information such as home addresses and license numbers, that was not necessary to make a point on a public form such as this one. They should be ashamed of themselves but I know they won't. I will not start to pretend i know all of the people being discussed but do know before Mr. Clausel started with the rescue squad in Frankewing many people, me included, thought it was an abandoned building and did not even know the rescue squad was located there. He has put in much of his personal time to make it a better place and to get the training needed to not only save the lives of those that are thankful but thank God to even save the lives of those who have seen fit to put information they know nothing about on this site. If I, my daughter or anyone else that I love was in trouble I would trust him with our lives and yes that includes my daughter. I have been reading what has been said about the squad on this site but I know the training they have to go through, the hours, the gas and apparently the personal attacks they have to go through to be a member. I am appalled that without knowing all the circumstances people can sit back and say if they or a loved one were in a burning building, in a car trapped or any other life threatening situation, they would really care that someone they have never took the time to know but have took the time to criticize was the one to save them. Thank God they do not care if the person they save are misinformed or if they are thankful for anything they do because I pray that you never need their service but if you do they will be there. I personally thank you should be thankful they, despite yourself and the criticism, still care and would put their life on the line for even you.
OK as far as budgets. Think of it this way, to keep you home running smooth with electric, the upkeep and everyday expenses and to keep your car on the road cost money. Well each squad has all of that plus. I don't understand the question about the money the squad uses. Would you rather them use less money and possibly not be able to fix the one truck they need or be able to buy the one tool that if they had could have saved your life. Sorry I know some people just need something and someone to complain about. Sorry to all of the squad members not all of us need to complain. Yes I will put my name to this one.
MY NAME IS ANGEL
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