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Last Alarm for F/F Matthew K.
Garrity
Last
Alarm Call- (audio)
Jan 26, 2011: Matt
Garrity, age 27, was killed last Saturday evening when his vehicle
left the roadway near his home in Senoia. The cause of the accident
which occurred at around 7pm is still a mystery.
On Tuesday the department
sent Matt on his final alarm and on Wednesday a full fire and
military service was held in Fayetteville, GA, a short distance from
where he lived.
Matt had only been with DFES for two years;
however, he was an Air Force Fire Fighter who served in Kuwait,
Eglin AFB, and the Marshall Islands. He followed in the footsteps of
his father who retired from Air Force Fire Protection as a Senior
Master Sergeant, and still serves with Charlotte County Fire in
Florida. His brother Steve is also a firefighter, working with
Naples FD.
Matt's brother Mike said that they will honor Matt
by taking his ashes to sea where he loved to spend his time fishing.
A fitting tribute to a great young man.
Record
Crowds Attend Wings Over Atlanta Air Show
Margaret Aikens
Atlanta Military Families Examiner
The
skies over Atlanta were filled with aerial acrobatics at this year’s
Wings Over Atlanta Airshow, 2010, held at Dobbins ARB in Marietta
this past Saturday and Sunday. With aerial feats performed by noted
military flight groups such as the Navy’s own Blue Angels, and the
Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue elite parachute team.
International guests, The Canadian Snowbirds were also in
attendance, offering thrilling examples of aerial skills and
formations.
With two Atlanta area natives, Captain Greg
McWherter from Dekalb, and Lt. Commander Frank Weisser a native of
Sandy Springs, at the helm of the Blue Angels aerial team, this
particular show gave Atlanta residents a home-town touch.
 After
the 2008 air show became a traffic issue for many visitors, this
year’s organizers reached out to area transit providers and lot
owners for help. In answer to this need, 127 busses were contracted
and used to transport, free of charge, the nearly 200,000 spectators
who arrived for the show both Saturday and Sunday. Parking space was
provided by Lockheed Martin, a noted military contractor located on
the Dobbins base, as well as Six Flags’ White Water theme park and
Jim Miller Park.
Organizers were pleased with the results as
crowds gasped and applauded at the many thrilling aerial exercises
provided by the experienced pilots and support teams. Other
performances by Red Eagle, Dan Buchanan, Gary Rower, Bill Braak and
his Smoke-N-Thunder Jet Car, F/A -18 Hornet Demo, Kent Pietsch Jelly
Belly, Dobbins C-130 Airdrop, “Otto” The Helicopter (a favorite
among children especially), Georgia State Patrol Helo Demo, Viper
East F-16 Demo, Sean D. Tucker/Oracle and others provided even more
excitement for the day.
Air shows all over the
world provide not only a chance to show our military pride, but to
offer a chance at removing the mystique of the military base - “Open
“House” style -for the many civilians who live near our numerous
military bases. This year’s Wings Over Atlanta Air Show was, once
again, successful at doing both.
KME Delivers New Haz Mat Rig
This Air Force P-31 HazMat is the latest addition to the DFES fleet.
The 2010 Kovatch custom cab-walk around rescue body has been
configured with a Command Center in the cab area and has replaced
the department's 1993 Wells Cargo trailer.
Although it's
designated "HazMat 41", the truck will serve more than just HazMat
operations. Besides the ability to provide command staff with an on
site protected command position, it is outfitted with equipment to
support rehab and communications operations as well.
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