Winder Fire Department

05/28/2026

PROMOTIONS👨‍🚒🚒

We have recently had a few members retire. While we will certainly miss them this opens opportunity for others to step up. A promotion ceremony was held last week for the following firefighters.

Congratulations to the following firefighters on their recent promotions..

Lt. Cory West has been promoted to Captain. Captain West has been employed with the Winder Fire Department since September 2014. He is the department’s Chair for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation and is an integral part in organizing our Golf Tournament. Captain West will take over on A shift.

Engineer Chris Jagielski has been promoted to Lieutenant. He will serve on C shift. Lt. Jagielski has been employed full time for 8 years.

Firefighter Kevin Nelson has been promoted to Driver/Enginner. Engineer Nelson has been employed since May 2019. He serves on our truck committee and handles coordination for all apparatus maintenance.

Congratulations gentlemen on your promotion!!!

05/20/2026

The Winder Fire Department’s 12th Annual “Give Burns the Boot” Golf Tournament was a tremendous success this year, raising more than $20,000 for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation.
Held on May 12 at The Chimneys Golf Course, the tournament brought together community members, sponsors and golfers in support of a cause that remains close to the hearts of our firefighters. Proceeds help support programs for burn survivors, including a no-cost summer camp for children who have suffered burn injuries and their siblings.
A special thank-you to tournament sponsor Southeast Restoration along with all of the teams, hole sponsors and supporters who made this event possible. We are grateful for the continued support from our community.

05/15/2026

After more than 30 years of service to the Winder community, Captain Randy Wells is retiring from the Winder Fire Department.
His experience, leadership and dedication to the fire service will be truly missed by both the department and the community he has served for decades.
As he begins this next chapter, we thank Randy for his many years of commitment to protecting the citizens of Winder and wish him the very best in retirement.
Congratulations, Captain Wells, and enjoy your retirement! 🚒

05/11/2026

Lanier Tech students visited the Winder Fire Department Burn Building last week. 🔥

05/11/2026

Teamwork 🚒 👨‍🚒

C shift responded to assist Barrow County Fire Department with a structure fire this afternoon

Great work guys. Job well done 🔥

05/08/2026

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥Retirement Announcement🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Firefighter Donald Wood has retired from the Winder Fire Department after 14 years of service.

Donald started his fire service career with Barrow County Fire Department in January of 1985 as a volunteer and spent the next 18.5 years serving as a firefighter in Statham. He joined the Winder Fire Department in May of 2010 as a part time firefighter and became full time in May of 2012. 🚒

Donald retired on May 5, 2026, after serving the last 34 years in the fire service. His experience and dedication to the profession will be truly missed. He was a dedicated employee as Chief Whiting said he never used a sick day in 14 years!!!! 👨‍🚒

As he moves into the next chapter of his life, we wish Donald the best and thank him for his many years of dedication to the fire service. Congratulations Donald and enjoy your retirement!!! 😎

05/04/2026

Happy International Firefighters’ Day.
Did you know Winder firefighters work 24-hour shifts? They respond to calls ranging from falls to house fires—any time, day or night.

05/01/2026

Statewide Burn Ban Now in Effect: May 1 – Sept. 30. To protect air quality and reduce fire risk, open burning is banned for 54 Georgia counties, including the City of Winder. 🚫 No burning yard and land-clearing debris 🚫No burning leaves 🚫 No burning household garbage Campfires and grilling are exempt. If you have any questions regarding the Burn Ban please call the Winder Fire Department at 770-867-3212

04/23/2026

Thanks to everyone who stopped by Fire Station No. 1 on Tuesday for our open house as part of Georgia Cities Week.
We enjoyed welcoming you in to meet Winder’s firefighters, tour the station, and get a closer look at how the team stays ready 24/7 to serve the community.
We appreciate you taking the time to connect with the people behind the work—and for supporting your city.

04/22/2026

For those asking about the smoke in the air

UPDATE!!

From the National Weather Service:

“We've already received a number of calls regarding the smoke in the area, especially across the Atlanta Metro area. Active wildfires across southern Georgia and northern Florida are being caught up in weak southerly upper-level flow.

There are two areas that will continue to provide a source of smoke for north and central Georgia. The first of which is the Brantley Highway 82 Fire east of Atkinson (currently between 35-40k acres) and the Pineland Rd Fire southeast of Stockton, Georgia. Smoke and haze closest to the surface is likely coming from these fires, but as the day heats up, we'll continue to see dispersion of smoke across much of the state.

The second is a fire near the Big Bend area of Florida. While smaller than the southern Georgia fires, its smoke is being caught up in the upper-level flow and pushed northward towards the Atlanta Metro area. It will likely continue to be a secondary source for the upper-level haze and dramatic sunsets.

Smoke and haze will likely continue through the rest of the week before a cold front
this weekend improves conditions”

PRESS RELEASE: Smoke Conditions in Barrow County

Barrow County residents will notice smoke in the area over the coming days. The smoke affecting our area is from wildfires in South Georgia. We expect these conditions to remain for approximately one week. Depending on weather patterns, including wind speed and wind direction, smoke conditions may improve or worsen at times.

Barrow County Fire Department has multiple units surveying conditions throughout the county. We are aware of the situation and are actively confirming there are no uncontrolled fires within Barrow County at this time.

We ask citizens to refrain from calling 911 solely to report widespread smoke conditions related to this event. Please call 911 immediately if you see an active fire, smoke coming directly from a structure or vehicle, or if you have any other emergency.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we continue to monitor conditions.