A Message from Chief:
To The Mayor, City Council, City Administrator, and the Citizens of Thunderbolt:
I am pleased to report to you, our stakeholders, that the Thunderbolt Volunteer Fire Department is continuing its tradition as the best volunteer fire department in the State of Georgia. During the last two years, we have worked hard to improve our level of training and expertise in many areas of the services we provide to the community. We have added much needed rescue and firefighting equipment to our department to better protect and serve you.
We are currently preparing for our upcoming Insurance Services Office (ISO) inspection. ISO rates departments on their ability to respond to and suppress fires within their community. We received a Class 5 rating in 1986 and look forward to lowering our rating due to numerous departmental changes and the hopeful addition of a Tanker and Ladder Truck, therefore saving you, the taxpayers, money on your yearly Insurance Premiums.
We are always in need of volunteers from the community to come down and help. If you are interested, please come down to the station on a Tuesday night around 7pm or call us at the station. Look for new and on-going programs in the upcoming year. We have made and will keep the commitment to provide the best emergency services, public education, and fire & life safety prevention programs at the lowest attainable cost.
We look forward to serving you and your families in the upcoming year in any way possible. In the interest of a safe and prosperous Community, I am,
Fire Chief Lawton “Carl” Smith, Jr.
Thunderbolt Volunteer Fire Department proudly protects over 3000 people living in an area of 6 square miles. TFD operates out of a fire station facility located off Mechanics Avenue (behind the Thunderbolt Library). Our department is a combination public department with approximately twenty-five volunteer members supplemented by three full time fire fighters, each working a 24 hour shift. We have an ISO rating of 5 and are working to receive a rating of 4 or 3 this winter when we go through an evaluation.
The Thunderbolt Volunteer Fire Department was started in 1949 to protect residents and it’s shrimping fleets. We currently have approximately 25 Firefighters and EMS personnel, including a Fire Chief, Assistant Chiefs, Training Officers and a Safety Officer protecting a community filled with homes and multiple types of businesses including 5 marina’s and the Country’s largest yacht refurbishing facility. We have 4 Pumpers and a Squad housed in our Fire Station. Our department prides itself on its dedication to the community and by having won both the 1996 & 1999 State of Georgia firefighter’s competition.
Fire Department Services: Fire, First Responder-Medical, Haz-Mat, Search and Rescue, Extrication
