As we steadfast approach this new year, we are filled with renewed ambitions and desires for our organization and profession. Each year around this time, most people find themselves torn between reflecting and holding onto the past, and looking toward the future. It is usually best to try and be on the side of forward thinking, but inevitbaly somthing happens in the year past that causes this mixing of emotions. This year was no different. As we combed our way through a "fire-less" 2009, we saw a surge in growth as new members made the decision to give of their time to their community and become firemen. But with that growth of youth we also saw our department veer off the well-beaten path.

While it has been a time of adjustment and evaluation on the new circumstances, we are forced to look to the new year and see what we can make of it. It would be easy to wish and long for days of old, but the fact of the matter still stands that this is not days of old, but days of now. We are in a piviotal place in our storied 90 year history and it is essential that all members embrace the challenges of today so that we may survive into tomorrow.

This month begins a more intense and aggressive training year as we strive to continue educating and training our members to levels required of them by the profession and the state. We must each embrace every opportunity to learn, be it from a senior member, magazine, instructor, or anything else, but we must never miss the opportunity to become better firemen. We must also embrace opportunities to become better men. As we age and grow, we must take new chances on people that may not appear to fit the bill initially, and give them every opportunity that we were afforded.

It is my sincere hope that we will all band together, regardless of our rank or position, and push forward in the mission of self growth and growth as a department in this new year...new decade...new direction.

2010 welcomes new faces to various line officer positions. Beginning his 46th year of service to the town of Athens, Chief Stanley Harvey will lead the core of officers. Other line officers are:

Derek Belcher, Assistant Chief
Stanley McKenzie, 1st Captain
Brian Sanders, 2nd Captain
Everett Mitchem, 1st Lieutenant
Adam Hill, 2nd Lieutenant
Tim Tate, 3rd Lieutenant

The Athens Volunteer Fire Department is working on a schedule of activity opportunites for the Athens and surrounding areas. These opportunities will be educational classes offered free of charge to help the citizens of the Athens Fire response area learn valuable life-saving skills. Classes that will be offered include:

• First Aid / CPR for the citizen responder
• HomeChek: Preparing for emergencies
• Bike and Helmet safety
• Fire Safety in the Home

These classes will be offered free of charge and are a great opportunity for the community to take a pro-active approach to safety. Living in a rural area, can present unique challenges to local Fire and EMS agencies as response times are often longer than for those that live in the immediate town limits. For more info email us at: info@athensfireandrescue.org.