As we come to the end of another year, let’s look at the Accomplishments of 2009 for your Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department:

- Increased money in savings from $5,000 to $33,000 for future projects like station additions
- Placed $10,000 of that $33,000 in a high interest earning CD
- Increased funds from Fall Fund raising letter and Spring Fund Raising Letter
- Successful implementation of the State Approved Raffle
- Made $8,000 from Raffle
- Successfully conducted 3 boot drives (Safely)
- Standbys at all Home Football Games, ACHS and NAGAF
- Conducted Kids Firefighter Camp for 42 young people
- Conducted Public Fire Education at both elementary schools and MDO with Fairview kids coming to Station 1 by bus for tours
- Junior program continues to grow
- Wheel chocks are mounted on all trucks with brackets
- Breathing Apparatus are all tested up to 2009 standards
- Added 6 new portable radios to our inventory
- Station 1 is staffed 3-4 days out of the week
- Windows in all bay doors at both stations to increase visibility and security
- Station 1 & 2 both received face lifts, cleaning and painting
- Landscaping in front of Station 1
- Professional image with information signs out in community
- First Responder Vehicle is put into service
- Improved Pumper will be in service at Station 2 by the end of 2009
- Received AFG Fire Prevention & Safety grant received
- Hydrants are getting inspected, tested, painted and data entered in computer
- Started conducting commercial inspections and walk thrus
- 11 completed First Responder training
- 13 passed their Firefighter I or II tests
- All Members Completed State Required Domestic Violence Class
- All members Completed Haz Mat Basic Concepts and Concepts Implementation Classes
- Held 1st ever Tanker Shuttle Drill with Rural Metro FD
- Began Auto Aid Responses with other County VFDs

Having said all this, and it’s all good, we still feel like we’ve got more to accomplish in 2010. Passing and improving the ISO survey in May, do community CPR classes conduct a Citizens Fire Academy, and we will do more for the Kids Firefighter Camp.

Your Firefighters have completed these things to better their community and their department, this is a truly a group effort! We continue to improve. Improve fund raising, public image, public education, equipment, staffing, training, and a host of other things. This is a group project! We’ve adopted the old saying, “you go, and we go”! We are only as strong as our newest member! Your firefighters have done more, and made more sacrifices than most, and for that you should be proud.

Unfortunately, we can always do more. Our goal is still to save lives and property. The time to start that process is not when the flames are showing; the time to start that goal is now, with fire prevention and fire safety.

You are served by 50- 100 strong willed, dedicated, committed individuals who have a common goal of fire prevention through education and fire suppression through constant training and improvements. You should know that your fire department personnel have worked thousands of hours to improve your fire protection. They’ve conducted boot drives, (we’re sorry if we bothered you in the traffic, but we have to find any way possible to raise money, fire equipment is very expensive), sold raffle tickets, worked booths at the fair and held chili suppers and bake sales. Folded fund raising letters till wee hours of the morning, spent hours training to protect themselves and save others that they don’t even know! They’ve worked on trucks at the stations, painted the stations, worked to educate your children, in the schools and out, conducted tours at the fire stations, covered the stations for emergency responses for hours at a time. Written and received grants for equipment and smoke detectors to put into YOUR homes to protect YOU, should your home catch on fire. You should be extremely proud! WE have a GREAT fire department covering Northeast Anderson County, and we’re getting better!

We’d love to have you as part of this fast growing, exciting organization! We hold our monthly business meeting every month on the first Monday. You can go to our web site at www.tnavfd.com and complete an application and turn it in to our Personnel Director at Station 1 on Mountain Road. You’ll be contacted and interviewed so we can find the best fit for you at the AVFD. We need people from all walks of life. Truck drivers, auxiliary members to help with fund raising, clerical folks to help with administrative duties and young people to grow our junior members, which are our future AVFD members. If you have questions, please call the fire department at 494-0563.

Jeff Bagwell, Fire Chief 2009