by Jeffrey Sussman
Gilmer County Public Safety PIO
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Wednesday night, December 29, became a test exercise for all public safety agencies in Gilmer County. There was a fire in the Gilmer County Detention Center and within minutes the jail was evacuated, with no casualties, the fire was out, and inmate security was in place due to interagency cooperation.
Thick smoke circulated throughout the detention center due to a fire that started in a dryer in the laundry room. Sheriff-elect Stacy Nicholson was still in his office, at the jail, as the fire alarm was sounded. He immediately took command as his staff was doing exactly what they are trained to do in times of emergencies. At times, the smoke was dense enough to limit the detention officers’ visibility.
Captain S.A. Smith, officer in charge of the detention center, immediately fought the fire and attempted to isolate it to the dryer room.
Within seconds of the alarm being sounded, the 911 Center dispatched the county fire department and notified all police agencies of the situation at the detention center. Firefighters from the fire department arrived, the first person on the scene being Gilmer County Fire Chief Gary Watkins. Watkins set up command and ordered his firefighters to enter the building and to put the fire out. At the same time, other fire fighters searched the facility to insure the evacuation was complete. After a few minutes it was evident that the fire had not spread and now the task for firefighters was smoke clearance. Chief Watkins would not allow any inmates to return until all health hazards were removed.
“This was truly an all agency response to this situation that could have been a disaster,” stated Nicholson. He praised the interagency cooperation. He noted that while the evacuation was going on, detectives Mike Mabrey and R.T. Henry, without a thought for their personal safety, initiated fire suppression. This reduced the production of smoke in the facilities and helped insure a safer evacuation. He also complimented the other staff members working at the jail. Nicholson said that due to the vigilance of the officers and the assistance of the Ellijay Police Department and East Ellijay Police Department, containment of prisoners was never a problem.
Watkins praised his firefighters and noted that the response by paid firefighters and volunteers was immediate. The volunteers left their homes and were at the jail within minutes of the alarm.
Nicholson and Watkins maintained a joint command status throughout the emergency, consulting each other as their staffs worked both during and after the emergency.
They agreed on additional joint training for both departments and other needs to insure that the county does not have a disaster.