Gwinnett Fire To Get New Chief, Updated Facility

Snyder will replace the retiring Myers as chief effective May 25.

Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services is getting a new leader and a revamped facility. Gwinnett officials announced Tuesday that Casey Snyder, a 24-year veteran of the department, will replace Bill Myers, who will retire on May 24 after 30 years with the county. Also, the county announced that a $1.3 million expansion of Gwinnett’s Fire Academy will begin this summer. Snyder, who will oversee the department of 800 employees, began his career in emergency services in 1984. “Casey Snyder is the ideal choice to lead Fire and Emergency Services," County Administrator Glenn Stephens said in a news release. "Like his predecessor, Bill Myers, whom we will miss greatly, Casey started as a firefighter with the department and took on increasing …

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SWAT Standoff in Suwanne Likely Was Planned

The recent hostage-taking of Gwinnett firefighters from a Lawrenceville fire house ended with Lauren Holman Brown being shot dead by Gwinnett police.

The incident Wednesday in which a Suwanee man held five Gwinnett County firefighters hostage before being shot dead likely was planned, officials said Thursday. The firefighters were all from Fire Station 10 on Russell Road in Lawrenceville. Lauren Holman Brown told his captives during the incident that he chose firefighters as hostages "because he knew (police) would come armed," Gwinnett Police chief Charles Walters said Thursday at a news conference at police headquarters in Lawrenceville. "That's an indication that he planned this." The incident began about 3:40 p.m. when Gwinnett Fire and Emergency officials received a call from 2440 Walnut Grove Way in unincorporated Suwanee. It ended shortly after 7:30 p.m. when police made the …

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Ron Sherman

3:10 pm on Friday, April 12, 2013

planned suicide by SWAT/police officer(s)...   more ›

Gwinnett Hostage-Taker Dead After Gunfire Exchanged With SWAT Team

Gwinnett firefighters are rescued with superficial injuries after a standoff in the suburbs Wednesday.

The hostage-taker who was pronounced deceased Wednesday (April 10) in Suwanee after exchanging gunfire with Gwinnett SWAT officers apparently was motivated by financial concerns. Gwinnett Police spokesperson Ed Ritter said Wednesday evening that the person who originally held five Gwinnett firefighters hostage had requested that his power and other utilities be turned back on during negotations. The situation ended about 7:30 p.m. in a subdivision near Walnut Grove Elementary when police made the decision to go into the home at 2440 Walnut Grove Way. Four firefighters were being held then after one was released, police said. "Officers made contact with the suspect. Gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and the SWAT team. The suspect is…

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Gwinnett to Purchase New Swift Water Rescue Truck

The emergency vehicle is designed to transport rescue crews and equipment to emergencies on the Chattahoochee River or Lake Lanier.

On Dec. 11, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved funding for a new swift water rescue truck to be based at Fire Station 14 in Buford. The $229,461 vehicle is designed to transport rescue crews and equipment to emergencies on the Chattahoochee River or Lake Lanier and will be funded through the 2009 SPLOST sales tax program.  Also on Dec. 11, Gwinnett commissioners accepted a $20,000 grant from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to replace tools and equipment used on the Search and Rescue truck based at Fire Station 24 near the Mall of Georgia and a $16,764 grant from the Georgia Trauma Care Network to help replace trauma-related emergency medical equipment used by firefighter/EMTs throughout the county. “We’re very …

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Gwinnett to Buy 5 Fire Trucks

The money will come from SPLOST funds.

  Gwinnett County will purchase five new pumper-engines for the fire and emergency services department over the next two years. They will replace aging trucks currently being used by the department. The $2.5 million for the new trucks will come from SPLOST sales tax. The pumpers are powered by diesel and will each hold 750 gallons of water. When they are hooked up to a fire hydrant, they will be able to pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute. “These new engines will go to fire stations across Gwinnett County as primary response units for fires and emergency medical incidents," said Fire Chief Bill Myers in a release. "The units will allow us to continue providing the highest quality service, and we appreciate voter support of the SPLOST …

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Car Crashes into Donut Truck on Grayson Highway

The "Jaws of Life" had to be used to rescue one of the victims.

  Quick responding fire crews came to the rescue of two people following an accident Wednesday morning on the 600 block of Grayson Highway. According to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services' Lt. Eric Eberly, a car crashed into a donut delivery truck just before 9:30am. The truck was making a turn when the red car hit it, leaving the driver of the car trapped inside. Crews used the "Jaws of Life" to free the car's driver. He was assessed and treated on scene. Both the driver of the car and the donut truck were taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville with non-life threatening injuries. They are both listed in stable condition. Gwinnett Firefighters were able to respond to the scene quickly because some of them were taking …

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Gwinnett FD Receives Top Accreditation for Paramedic Training

Gwinnett County is the only Fire and Emergency Services department in the state to receive this accreditation and one of only two in the southeast.

Having an accident or a medical emergency is never a good thing - but should it occur, Gwinnett County is probably the best place for it to happen. Officials from Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services called a press conference Wednesday to announce that GCFES has recently received a prestigious accreditation for its paramedic training program. Not only is GCFES the first fire department in the state to receive this accreditation, but it is also one of only two in the southeast and one of very few in the nation. The only other agency in Georgia that carries the accreditation is GCFES’s partners in the endeavor, Gwinnett Technical College. “Emergency medical calls are a large part of what we do here in Gwinnett, so we want to provide …

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Let's Talk Turkey

Make sure to follow these safety tips when cooking or frying a turkey this Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving holiday is typically a time when family and friends gather to share a meal and give thanks. As preparations for the busy holiday get underway, firefighters have some important tips for safe cooking practices. Unsafe cooking practices are the leading cause of residential fires. Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services and the National Fire Protection Association are calling on all cooks to include the following fire safety tips in their recipes: If you're planning to deep-fry your holiday bird, please remember to follow proper fire safety precautions. Be sure to read the instructions for your fryer and completely thaw your turkey or chicken before frying it. Watch the video above to see a first-hand demonstration of what…

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Coolray Field Hosts Public Safety Fall Festival

Residents had a chance to get up close and personal with the tools and people that help keep us safe.

Everything from a baseball game to a blood drive, auto exhibits, motorcycle demonstrations, free Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches and jump zones were available to attendees of the Public Safety Fall Festival at Coolray Field Saturday. “I didn’t know that police motor cycles could turn in such a short circle,” one person observed as the Gwinnett Police Department demonstrated ride techniques. It was a truly amazing thing to witness, and right in the middle of it all a distress call came in to the Fire Department and firemen and trucks were immediately dispatched to the scene. This was truly a live demonstration! 

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Gwinnett Welcomes 24 New Firefighters

Ceremony held Monday at GJAC.

The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services welcomed 24 new firefighters to its ranks Monday during a ceremony at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. The new firefighters, 23 men and one woman, were assigned to work in fire stations across the county.  The group is the first class of Gwinnett fire recruits ever to pass state level certification testing for both firefighter and emergency medical technician on the first attempt. "We are proud of the exemplary training and the many accomplishments of our newest firefighters," said Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in a media release. Commission Chairman Charlotte J. Nash and other county government leaders were on hand for the ceremony.

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