Volunteer firefighters, left to right, are Kevin Leckenby, Neill Bule, Frank Youmans, Mike Chalverus, Jeff Hilkert, Jeremy McDowell and Eric Burnette. Not pictured are Jay Brooks, Thompson Pettway, Luke Braman, Jeremy Van
Brunt and Ben Johnston
photo by Gail Perry
Mike Chalverus, deputy chief of the volunteer fire department for Lookout Mountain, Ga., was credited with the job he has done to move the city’s fire department “from a group of well-intentioned guys with a common community-minded mission to one that has multiple higher certified members.” That is true of both firefighting and emergency medical services, said Volunteer Firefighter and Council Member Kevin Leckenby, who has experienced the progression of the department first-hand as a volunteer firefighter himself. Four of the volunteers have achieved the Firefighter 1 certification. He told the council members that the Lookout Mountain department is now seen as a group that can take the lead in emergency events rather than merely just providing manpower.
The city is part of the tri-state mutual aid, which is actually an association that includes four surrounding states. In the fight against the wildfire that spread and burned the Incline tracks and cables and threatened nearby homes, the training that the Lookout Mountain volunteers had recently completed paid off, said Councilman Leckenby. They were given leadership roles that day and he said with around 10 fire departments responding, all the ideas from the Lookout Mountain team that were offered for how to tackle the fire were considered. The volunteers represented the city well, he said.
At the annual Christmas party, the city presented each of the volunteer firefighters with a letter of appreciation and a gift card for being this year’s recipient of the Lookout Mountain Volunteer of the Year.
The city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., is renewing agreements with the state to provide benefits for city employees and residents. The Georgia Municipal Association assists cities in the state in offering life, health and vision insurance to current workers as well as with insurance coverage for retirees. From time to time as GMA updates its retirement plan, the city has to follow. Currently, an employee must work a minimum of 20 hours to qualify to participate. The benefits are tied to an individual’s income that in many jobs are based on the amount of time they work. The council members have asked City Attorney Bill Pickering to see if it is possible to increase the time required for a person to work before being eligible to get the insurance benefit. The council will not vote to accept changes until Attorney Pickering reports if additional hours of work can be required.
Another state program that Lookout Mountain, Ga., will participate in is a program that will support first responders who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a long-term disability. The state has mandated that municipalities participate in this program in 2025, which will provide benefits to those who ae affected. The city will pay $2,800 annually, which will cover everybody in the municipality with a qualified claim.
In regular business, Council Member Leckenby, the liaison with the city’s public works department, commended the residents for placing their leaves at the street without blocking traffic or washing into the storm sewers. The department has been placing new signs around the city, and the new park property on Red Riding Hood and Cinderella has been sodded. A new culvert is being installed on Turnberry Court. A request for proposal to repair the stone arch at the entrance to Hardy Road will be put out for bids. And City Manager Kenny Lee will look for a solution to the problem of cars running into a sidewalk curb in front of the Mapco.
The next dumpster day will be Jan. 11 at the public works department.