Here are Cherokee Fire and Emergency Services' 2023 Stats

Over two out of three of Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services’ calls last year were for EMS medical response, Fire Chief Eddie Robinson recently told county commissioners.

Robinson presented the fire department’s annual report to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners June 18. The report includes statistics relating to employees, response times, calls and more.

“We are immensely proud of the hard work, dedication, and unity demonstrated by our department,” Robinson said. “Each member of our team has played a crucial role in our successes, and this report reflects our commitment to excellence in serving the citizens and visitors of Cherokee County.”

According to the chief’s report, the department answered 32,837 calls in 2023 — 23,336 were EMS medical-related calls, 427 calls were non-dwelling fires and 200 were structure fire responses, 933 were for technical rescues and 6,432 were other calls for service. A reported 1,509 calls were determined to be false alarms.

The department averaged an overall response time of seven minutes and 38 seconds, Robinson said. 2022’s average response time was six minutes and 44 seconds.

According to the report, CCFES average response times in each city in 2023 were:

Ball Ground — five minutes and 53 seconds for EMS, 11 minutes and 48 seconds for fire

Canton — six minutes and six seconds for EMS, five minutes and 13 seconds for fire

Holly Springs — five minutes and 15 seconds for EMS, four minutes for fire

Nelson — nine minutes and 38 seconds for EMS, 10 minutes and 30 seconds for fire

Waleska — five minutes and 29 seconds for EMS, three minutes and 24 seconds for fire

Woodstock — six minutes for EMS, five minutes and 59 seconds for fire

Woodstock has its own fire department, though Cherokee County firefighters sometimes provide assistance responding to calls there.

“Thank you for all you do, and you are one of the great prides of Cherokee County,” Commission Chair Harry Johnston told Robinson after his report.

In December, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special event including nearly 300 fire department members, retirees and friends of the fire service celebrating the occasion.

As of the end of 2023, the department had 480 full-time employees and 13 part-time employees, per the report. There are 431 field operations employees, 422 sworn firefighters, 175 licensed paramedics, 153 licensed advanced EMT and 66 licensed EMT-intermediates.

The fire department also includes 62 support and administration employees, including 37 sworn firefighters, 17 licensed paramedics, 17 licensed EMT-intermediates and one licensed advanced EMTs.

In 2023, the department opened Station 29, a new fire station in the Buffington area, and expanded Station 32 to provide more staffing to serve the Hickory Flat and surrounding areas. The department also opened its new Station 15, a replacement station in the Mica community.

CCFES also began construction on Station 13 in Sutallee, started remodeling Station 18 in Salacoa and acquired land and began design on Station 30 in the south Holly Springs area, per the report.

A total of $13 million in SPLOST funding was used in 2023 for work on various stations including Stations 5, 13, 18, 20, 29 and 32, as well as trucks, vehicles and other station work and remodeling.

“SPLOST is huge for the fire department and we have been aggressive with the last couple of SPLOSTs — we are working to close out the SPLOST and we are making plans and starting architectural work for that SPLOST that the citizens approved in this past election year,” Robinson said. “I am really grateful the citizens approved that SPLOST. It’s going to truly allow us to accelerate into the future and meet the needs of the citizens here.”

The department provided 199,215 hours of training last year to all county fire personnel. A total of 55 new fire and EMS recruits graduated, and 21 firefighters completed an in-house accredited paramedic training program.

CCFES also continued offering training and education services to the public through Safety Town and other ventures, Robinson said.

“As we progress through 2024, we remain committed to building on our achievements and upholding our mission, vision, and values,” Robinson said. “We sincerely thank the community for their continued support and trust in our department.”

For the full Cherokee County fire department 2023 annual report, visit bit.ly/CCFES2023 .