Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, January 26,2022
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 5A
Volunteer firefighter has also aided search-and-rescue efforts
By Julia Fechter
jfechter@dawsonnews.com
After serving over 15
years in the U.S. Army
and Florida National
Guard, Charley Hogwood
wanted to continue serv
ing his community. That
desire to serve eventually
led him into first respond
er work and to Dawson
County’s Community
Emergency Response
Team (CERT).
CERT programs are
designed to teach the
community to be self-sus
taining in times of natural
disasters when emergency
services cannot respond,
said Public Affairs
Officer Laura Fulcher.
While Dawson County
doesn’t currently have a
CERT team, Hogwood
has more recently taught
classes to prospective fire
and EMS volunteers,
though not during the
pandemic.
Trainings have allowed
participants to learn and
develop the skills that can
help them respond as citi
zens in the event of a nat
ural disaster. These vol
unteers are not county
employees.
Following his time in
the military, Hogwood
pursued a career in emer
gency management.
Then, he and his family
moved up to northeastern
Georgia. Hogwood has
served as a volunteer fire
fighter with Dawson
County for four years.
This past year, he became
a staff firefighter/EMT
for Lumpkin County.
When Hogwood started
volunteering for search-
and-rescue missions with
CERT four years ago, his
military training as a
reconnaissance scout
kicked in. He realized his
skills like land navigation
and tracking could prove
especially useful.
Typically, calls for
search help can come
'It's an amazing feeling...
when you can have a suc
cessful mission and find
people in good shape, and
the family can thank you.
That's where the rewards
are.'
Charley Hogwood
CERT trainer
from within or outside of
Dawson County, with
agencies inside of a coun
ty handling efforts first.
“Every search is a bit
different. You never know
what it (the situation) is
going to be,” Hogwood
said.
He explained that search
es can be to look for anyone
ranging from a small child
to a lost or injured hiker to
older people. Sometimes,
other counties may contact
Dawson County for search
assistance, and volunteers
from within the fire and
EMS system will be asked
to come out and participate.
Sometimes, search
plans can include dog
teams to find or track
someone, whether that
person be lost, injured or a
victim or perpetrator of
some criminal act.
“We never know what
[calls] we’re going to get
and what time of day [it’ll
be], so we have to be flex
ible,” Hogwood said.
He added that searches
are also weather depen
dent, such as efforts along
the Etowah River.
Dawson County’s Fire
and Emergency Services
has worked with Lumpkin
County’s Swiftwater
Rescue Team on water
rescues.
“The response is more
urgent if people aren't
equipped for incoming
weather or if they have
children,” he added.
As someone who also
runs his own wilderness
rescue, Hogwood encour
ages people to take with
them a day kit of anything
they might need, such as a
portable phone charger or
ribbons to mark their way
along trails.
Most cell phones have
GPS capabilities, so they
can be very helpful if
emergency personnel are
trying to find a lost per
son. Hogwood added that
unless someone’s in dan
ger, it’s important for
them to stay in the same
location they are when
calling 911 so their loca
tion can be pinpointed.
Other important things
to do when hiking out
doors is bring equipment
and clothing for the terrain
and weather and tell a
friend when you expect to
finish a hike, he said.
Hogwood elaborated
that he’s proud of Dawson
County Fire and
Emergency Services for
having a volunteer pro
gram. He’s glad for the
chance to serve the com
munity.
“It’s an amazing feel
ing.. .when you can have a
successful mission and
find people in good shape,
and the family can thank
you,” he said. “That’s
where the rewards are.”
Photo courtesy of Charley Hogwood
CERT trainings teach community members to be self-sustaining during nat
ural disasters when emergency services cannot respond. Participants can
learn and develop the skills to help them respond as citizens in the event of
emergencies.
L homeowner's
-BEST OF FOR ff^^^^TOj|ORSYTH
-Iestofforsyth
ROOFING & RESTORATION ^
Roofing, Seamless Gutters,
Full Restoration Services
www.hopewell-roofing.com
NATIONAL ROOFING
CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
MEMBER
BBB
BBB Rating: A+
■ ■■FACTORY CERTIFIED A ®
Master Elite
I WEATHER STOPPER ROOFING CONTRACTOR
GAF Certification #ME23664
Have winter storms and high winds damaged year roof?
We're here
insurance >
may cover a
total roof
replacement!
■RTYs i.l
WE ARE INSURANCE SPECIALISTS AND
CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS.
Hopewell Roofing's team of HAAG certified roof inspectors will perform a FREE roof
inspection to see if you qualify for total replacement and will walk you through the
claim process - making an otherwise complicated process quick and painless.
Hopewell Roofing is fully licensed, insured, bonded A+ rated with the BBB,
a GAF Master Elite Certified Contractor, an active member of the
National Roofing Contractors Association and seven- time winner of Best of
Forsyth, 2020 & 2021 winner of Best of Hall, and 2020 winner of Best of Dawson.
We are dedicated to excellent service, quality work & customer satisfaction.
_
$J!
678-771-5372
