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Boy Scout seeks support for Shakerag Park project By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com
SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA
Members of the Forsyth County Fire Department gear up for an active shooter drill July 18 at Horizon Christian Academy in Cumming. The agency teamed with members from the Sheriff’s Office and Central EMS for the annual training session.
Forsyth County agencies gather for annual active shooter drill By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County public safety agencies gathered at Horizon Christian Academy July 18 for an annual active shooter drill. Sheriff’s Office Capt. Rob Heagerty said the operation is a joint effort between the Fire Department,
the Sheriff’s Office and Central EMS, the county’s ambulance contractor. Heagerty said the drill is designed to ensure clear communication between the departments, which may use differing language. He said when deputies say a room is clear, it means there is no threat, but to a firefighter, “clear” means there are no victims. “That way, when we’re talking
in unified command — Sheriff’s Office, Fire and EMS … everybody understands each other’s language,” Heagerty said. “When it happens, we run efficient and effective because we work out the kinks here in training.” He said the agencies first practiced joint drills for large scenarios in 2014. While active
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Jackson Burbrink, a 16-year-old Forsyth County resident, is pursuing his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout with an educational project in Johns Creek. Now, he is looking for community support. Burbrink, an incoming junior at the Alliance Academy for Innovation, has been active in the Boy Scouts of America since the first grade and joined Troop 143 in the fifth grade. He conceived the talking tree trail at Shakerag Park as his Eagle Scout project, the final step to obtain the organization’s highest rank. Originally, he said he wanted to complete the project in Forsyth County, but due to the anticipated maintenance required, he relocated his proposal to Shakerag Park. Burbrink intends to install four vandal-resistant and weatherproof speakers by Digital Audio Technologies, a product that has been used by the National Park Service. Guests would use a hand crank to activate the speaker, which would relay facts about the tree recorded by fellow scouts. Each speaker post would carry between five and eight messages.
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