After swearing in 11 newly trained firefighters during a recent graduation ceremony and making “lateral hires” to add 22 experienced firefighters, the Bulloch County Fire Department entered a new phase this week.
Two new 24-7-staffed BCFD stations – Station 16 off Georgia Highway 67 South and Station 1, which is paired with the EMS headquarters on West Grady Street – went operational July 1when dispatch sounded the tones at midnight June 30, and the department took responsibility for the county’s former “Statesboro” fire service district.
With previously volunteer Station 9, Clito, having started around-the-clock operations a few weeks ago, and the Brooklet, Portal and Register stations already established, the BCFD now has six 24-7 stations. The new hires, both laterals and recruits, have more than doubled the department’s career staffing from the 30 full-time firefighter positions with which it started 2025, and it continues to deploy volunteers as well.
Meanwhile, the Statesboro Fire Department continues to provide fire protection within the city limits and will have a mutual aid agreement, although no longer “automatic aid” with the Bulloch County Fire Department. Statesboro City Council, on the morning of July 1, approved the SFD-BCFD agreement, so the departments will assist each other upon request with specific calls – and also approved new mutual aid agreements between the SFD and the Metter Fire Department, based in Candler County, and the Pooler Fire Department, in that city at the northwestern end of Chatham County.
A special day
The Bulloch County Fire Department held its new-firefighter graduation June 27 in the community building at the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairgrounds. Three of the firefighters – Cody Thompson, Leah Vangille and Brice Willis – had in fact completed their 11 weeks of training earlier this year, in late March, as BCFD Class 25-1, and were already serving in the shifts. The other eight – Darren Brown, Clint Reier, Chris Rodriquez, Dexter Scroggins, Julian Spencer, Joseph Taylor, Andrew Thomas and Robert Walker – had just completed their training and, after the graduation, were ready to serve in shifts beginning Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 30-July 2.
“This is a special day, a special time for you and your families,” Bulloch County Fire Chief Ben Tapley told the graduates. “Please cherish it. I want y’all to take this day with you forever, take that first day next week when you go on shift and know how special it is to be at the station, riding in that apparatus, running calls, because there’s nothing better in this world.”
Besides Tapley, who served as emcee and presented the certificates, those officiating at the ceremony included BCFD Training Chief Mitch Sikes and Training Capt. Brian Mcree with remarks about the two graduating classes and their training, as well as Prevention Chief Joe Carter with the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer for safety and blessing. Chairman David Bennett of the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners pronounced the Firefighter Oath line-by-line for the graduates to recite back in unison, each raising his or her right hand.
But first, Bennett had made some remarks of appreciation to the group.
“Since I took office, fire prevention has become paramount for what I’ve been having to deal with over the last six months, and I can tell you that it’s important because what you do every day saves lives, it improves the quality of life in this county,” he said. “You’re going to put your life at risk every time you go to work, keeping people in this county safe, and we are going to be indebted to you for the rest of our lives, so thank you for what you do.”
Firefighters’ families were also saluted, with Tapley saying, “They couldn’t have done it without you,” in reference to support shown the former recruits through the long days of training.
“And now going forward … they’re going to need you even more,” he continued. “With some of the things they’re going to see and they’re going to go through, they’re going to need you even more during their careers. One thing I just hope is that you’ll always have a support system … back home. Keep your family and your friends close.”
Families involved
As a special element of the ceremony, the training officers handed the firefighter helmets first to a chosen family member or friend of each new firefighter and had these individuals present the helmet to the firefighter.
For example, Andrew Thomas, 26, a new firefighter who was looking forward to be on shift for the first time June 30, received his helmet from his wife, Bryanna.
The firefighter training, “was tough,” said Andrew, who previously worked in roofing and construction. “We’ve got a lot of good people to help you get through it, though.”
Tapley also asked these new firefighters – all new but not all equally young – why they had wanted to take up the firefighting profession.
“I always wanted to help others,” said one. “Helping the community,” said another. One or two said they were following in the footsteps of a father they looked up to, who has done some kind of public safety or service work. Others said they want to be a role model to their children, or at any rate someone the kids can look up to.
“It required me to be somebody better,” said Darren Brown, 36, one of at least three of the new firefighters who previously served in the military. In the Army for six years, he was stationed at Fort Stewart and also previously operated a dog training business.
The firefighter training was “harder in some ways, not as hard in other ways” as Army training, said Brown, adding, “It was probably the physically hardest thing I’ve done recently.”
He was accompanied by wife Maggie and their daughters Clara, 5, and Emily 3. Little Emily did the honors of handing the helmet to her father, he bending down and she literally looking up.
When all the ceremonial flourishes were done, Tapley announced, “Class 25-1 and Class 25-2: They are no longer recruits. They are Bulloch County firefighters!”
Families, friends and guests stood up, applauding.