General Information
Communications
Calls for assistance come into the Jackson County Communication Center,
an enhanced 911 system. The Jackson County Communications Center
dispatches the department by radio, members receive calls by radio
pager.
Mutual Aid
The department receives mutual aid on structure
fires from one or more neighboring departments.
Additional departments are available if needed.
Water Supply
The Cashiers Glenville area is unincorporated therefore there are no city
services in the area. There are a few private firms that provide water
and sewer services, but only to a limited area. Many developments
and some neighborhood associations have water systems and several also
provide sewer service. Approximately eighteen percent of the district is
covered by pressurized hydrants. In areas not covered by hydrants the
department has the capability to draft water from nearby water sources
and transport it to where it is needed. The department has several
portable pumps that can be used to obtain water from sources not
accessible to vehicles. Department apparatus have a combined capacity of
over 13,800 gallons.
The Cashiers Glenville area has a high annual rainfall (74 inches per
year). As a result there are numerous lakes, ponds and streams located
throughout the district. At fires, in an area not covered by hydrants,
the department, establishes a draft site (the drafting of water from lakes and ponds is made easier it the draft
site has a dry hydrant installed, see Dry Hydrants below). Using
tankers, water is shuttled from the draft site to the fire scene. At the
fire scene the tanker dumps its water into a portable water tank or
feeds its water to a relay pumper. The attack pumper or relay pumper
then drafts water from the portable water tank. If a relay pumper is
used the attack pumper fighting the fire receives water from the relay
tanker. The department has mutual add agreements with neighboring
departments, on structure fires the department receives mutual aid from
neighboring departments. The mutual aide departments bring additional water
capacity, equipment and manpower.
One of the essentials in firefighting is the need for access to a good
water supply. It is critical when fighting a fire that the fire
department is able to maintain an uninterrupted supply of water at the
fire scene. Several of the private water systems in the area have
installed pressurized hydrant, but not all. The department highly
encourages the installation of pressurized hydrants in all water
systems. This area is blessed with a large annual rainfall and abundant
streams and ponds. Having water available helps the department only if
the water is easily accessible. In areas without fire hydrants,
installation of dry hydrants, a non-pressurized permanent pipe system
installed into a water source, allows rapid access to a water source. A
dry hydrant should be located on a dependable water source* as near to
the source of the water as possible, have all weather vehicle access and
not have more than 12 foot vertical lift. Dry Hydrants
permit access to a water source without trucks having to
work on the soft ground adjacent to ponds and streams.