Summerville Fire Chief Receives State Certification

On Saturday, September 14, 2019  Summerville Fire Chief Robbie Lathem received the only Volunteer Fire Chief certification in Georgia by the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC).

“I was able to complete the training and requirements set forth by the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs to receive my Volunteer Fire Chief Certification through the GAFC. Glad my family was able to attend for this achievement. I was the only Volunteer Fire Chief to receive this recognition in the entire state of Georgia this year,” said Lathem.

The presentation was made by the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC) during the Georgia Fire Service Conference in Albany.

Developed by the association, the officer certification program is divided into four types of certifications — Georgia Fire Chief Certification, Georgia Volunteer Fire Chief Certification, Georgia Chief Fire Officer Certification and Georgia Volunteer Chief Fire Officer Certification. In order to enter the program, officers must apply and meet several criteria, including holding a Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council State Certification in at least one of the current Fire Service Certifications and having served as at least a fire officer in a state-certified fire department.

Lathem was awarded the Georgia Volunteer Fire Chief Certification. He was the only Volunteer Chief in the state who received this certification. There are less than ten volunteer chiefs with this certification in the entire state.

Certification applicants self-apply and must meet four pre-requisites including holding a Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training Council (GFSTC) State Certification in at least one of the current Fire Service Certifications and serving as a minimum of a Battalion Chief or Division Supervisor.

A point system reflective of their years of service, higher education achievement, level of fire officer certifications, recognition for additional credentials, and the completion of the Chief Fire Officer Level 8-hour classes was used to assess the applicants.

Dating back to 1952 and based in GMA’s Atlanta office, GAFC works to advance fire services in Georgia.

Lathem is the sixth fire chief of the City of Summerville since 1936. He has served as the Summerville Fire Chief since April 2016. Lathem says, “it is an honor and a privilege to work with the dedicated firefighters in our department. The City of Summerville firefighters not only provide exemplary fire and emergency services, they are also committed to continue the department’s longstanding tradition of positively impacting the community by providing a “SERVICE FOR OTHERS”.”

Lathem has been in the fire service for over 15 years, he began in June of 2004 with the Lyerly Fire Department.