George receives ‘911’ induction honor in Tennessee

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) team members may be pleased to know that AEDC Firefighter-Crew Chief and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Gary George is well prepared to attend to their emergency needs according to an induction into the Tennessee 911 Hall of Honor.

He recently received the honor at the 911 Winter Workshop held in Gatlinburg and he was inducted with fellow board members Judy Kelsey and Frank Rice.

The induction cites that he is, "Awarded to recognize the extraordinary leadership in helping to establish and maintain a professional enhanced 911 system that advances the interests of public safety, emergency communications and community service."

George, a McMinnville resident, is the chairman of the Technical Committee with the Warren County Emergency Communications District (WCECD) Board of Directors and began his membership with the board in 1998. He remarked that he felt privileged and honored to be a part of the district and to be listed in the Tennessee 911 Hall of Honor.

The WCECD 911 Board is the governing body of the Local 911 District in Warren County. The nine members of the 911 Board decide policy and procedure for the director and employees of the district in the operations of the consolidated communications center.

Mark Gribble, the chairman of the board, recognized the contributions George provides.

"Gary's knowledge of the technical components of 911 has been absolutely essential to the district and ultimately the citizens of our community," Gribble said.

George's contributions and expertise were also recognized by AEDC Fire Chief Daryle Lopes.

"Gary always excels at AEDC and never fails to do the same in his personal service to his local community," Lopes said. "He's an exceptional firefighter and citizen."

George explains that his positions with the board and AEDC correlate.

"Being on the receiving end of the emergency information that originates in the 911 communications center gives me valuable insight into how that information is received, processed and retransmitted to the agencies that will use that information and ultimately respond to those incidents," he said. "Also one of my jobs before becoming a firefighter was a dispatcher for an EMS [Emergency Medical Services] agency."

During his 30-year employment with the AEDC Fire Department, George has assisted in responding to fire calls, hazardous material spills and incidents, vehicle accidents and medical calls.

"I am responsible for the actions and safety of my crew and the readiness of the equipment assigned to us," he said.

George's other duties at the AEDC Fire Department include teaching classes, filing training and fire incident reports, preparing and filing pre-fire plans, and ensuring the crew and equipment are always ready.