Bryan County Emergency Services Chief Freddy Howell is the 100th fire professional from around the state to receive certification from the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.

Howell was recently awarded the certification of Georgia Fire Chief during business session at the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC) and Georgia Associations of Firefighters (GAFF) Joint Conference in Dalton Georgia.

“It’s an honor to receive this certification from the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs,” said Howell. “We at the Bryan County Emergency Services take pride in offering consistently high levels of fire and emergency services to the citizens and businesses of Bryan County.”

Certification applicants must apply and meet four prerequisites, including holding a Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council (GFSTC) State Certification in at least one of the current Fire Service Certifications and also serving at the rank of a battalion chief or division supervisor or higher.

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 eight-hour chief fire officer classes was used to assess the applicants.

 “This program is divided into three types of certifications,” said GAFC President Dwayne Jamison. “These include Georgia Volunteer Fire Chief Certification, Georgia Chief Fire Officer Certification and Georgia Fire Chief Certification. I’m very proud of Chief Howell for his attainment of the Georgia Fire Chiefs Certification.”

Dating back to 1952 and based in the Georgia Municipal Association’s Atlanta office, GAFC works to advance fire services in Georgia. The group represents more than 800 chief fire officers statewide.

“We developed the certification program to ensure that the fire departments in the state of Georgia have qualified, credentialed and professional leaders and managers overseeing their departments and personnel,” said Jamison.