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The Paper | Thursday, April 17, 2014
HIGHWAY 98 SIGN Continued from 5A
Fitzpatrick explained the event was well planned, that the signs were erected on the 98th day of the year and about 20-30 people came to the ceremony. He says that he tried to meet everyone there and thank them for coming out. Cheryl Smith, tourism project manager of the Northeast Georgia Mountains for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, was also there covering the event, which was very exciting. According to Fitzpatrick, the song was written in 2002 when he was pursuing the entertainment career full time and was singing in bars and clubs and working hard in the country music industry. The song became very popular and the people in the bars and clubs always requested it. By word of mouth, and the fact that Fitzpatrick’s mother is a good friend of Rep. Tommy Benton, the idea of commemorating that portion of Highway 98 to the song came about. From the year 2002 until 2012, people had discussed it and helped and encouraged Fitzpatrick to stick with it while getting past all the red tape. In 2012, Rep. Benton introduced the legislation and it was approved. But they were surprised to learn that whomever introduces the legislation must also pay for the signs.
It took a while but the Madison County Chamber of Commerce paid for the sign located right outside of Danielsville and Southeast Toyota Distributors agreed to pay for the Commerce sign. After those arrangements were made, the rest of the planning process was very easy. “Me and my family are genuinely grateful to everyone who has supported us and has been persistent with us in this. We are thankful for the many great friends over the years who have helped make not just this song, but everything musically, happen. My success is mostly from the support of everyone locally,” said Fitzpatrick. He says his inspiration for the song was his love for this area. He loves where he lives and he lives here because he loves it, not because he has to. Fitzpatrick’s family resides in the area and he has lived there his whole life. The inspiration for the song has certainly come full circle as he gets to pass the road signs every day. “It’s pretty cool, but also humbling,” said Fitzpatrick. He says that upon reaching a certain age, a man begins to think about the things that will live beyond himself. The road signs are something his children and grandchildren will be able to see and remember him by because it can be hard to find something like this to leave behind. “This is like my legacy. And I hope
to see that this has opened the door for other songwriters to be able to experience the same thing,” said Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick also included that the person he was when he wrote the song is somewhat different that the person he is now. In 2002 he was living a different life with different goals and desires. He no longer is the person who sings in bars and clubs because that is not where his heart is anymore. His relationship with The Lord changed everything. “I don’t think any of this would have happened without the Lord opening doors and keeping them open. I credit Him for all the opportunities and blessings He has given me. I’m very fortunate,” said Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick and his family reside in unincorporated Apple Valley, and he is the school sales account manager at Baker and Taylor. He continues writing and singing and is currently working on a “re-shine” recording of “Mississippi Moonshine.” For more information, visit his website, www.rickyfitzpatrick.com.
It’s pretty cool, but also humbling... This is like my legacy. Ricky Fitzpatrick
C.E.R.T.: Part of the preparedness By ROBERT SIPLE
Guest columnist
Have you ever wondered where those volunteers come from when a disaster strikes? You know, the ones you may have seen in the background of a television news story. Often times, if you pay close attention, you may notice they are donning green backpacks of emergency gear and dressed in green and yellow vests and hard hats with the letters C.E.R.T. These unsung heroes are actually regular folks within their community. They are people just like you – only, they’ve been trained to provide first responder assistance to family, friends, and neighbors until more highly trained Emergency Services personnel arrive. The Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, C.E.R.T. members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. C.E.R.T. members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. C.E.R.T. in Jackson County was originally established in 2007 and has graduated 47 certified C.E.R.T. volunteers. Like many organizations, we have recently experienced a variety of growing pains with changes in both the economy and our communities. However, Jackson County C.E.R.T. is excited about a new strategic vision for 2014 that focuses on: 1) Continued C.E.R.T. cer-
tification training - the next certification class was set to begin on April 10 with 12 students already registered. 2) A New Community Outreach Initiative. Towards increasing our reach in the community, we are currently in the process of defining and developing a number of personal emergency preparedness/response courses that may be delivered at either the Fire Training Center in Jefferson, at a place of business, a place of worship, or at other community locations. The intent of these programs is to conveniently deliver basic personal emergency preparedness and response training to groups within our community. These specialized programs will focus on specific skills such as basic first aid, basic fire safety, and home and/ or workplace safety and preparedness. While these programs will not result in
C.E.R.T. certification for the attendees, we believe that the more people we can train with the basic skills to save lives the safer our community will be. 3) A Stronger EMS Partnership. Jackson County C.E.R.T. is working with the Jackson EMS to have team members certified in the operations and management of FEMA Points of Delivery Systems (PODS). PODS are strategically placed during an emergency event to provide items such as blankets, tarps, fresh water, and meals ready to eat (MRE’s). Additionally, C.E.R.T. members will be gearing up to provide the EMS with volunteer personnel support for FEMA certified emergency shelters. It’s been said that “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” This is definitely the case when it comes to both personal and community emergency preparedness. As we move forward, Jackson County C.E.R.T. is striving to become the local emergency preparedness knowledge resource for individual citizens and organizations within our community. We invite you
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to become more informed and skilled to respond to emergency and disaster situations that may occur in your own home, business, and community. It is worth noting that Jackson County C.E.R.T. is an organization of volunteers who view emergency preparedness as beginning with the individual in support of a more prepared community. As we are a volunteer organization, we are not financially funded by local government and rely heavily on individual and corporate donations and occasional small grants. If your schedule does not permit you to volunteer then we would invite you to support our efforts by providing financial support. Please visit us at www.jacksoncert.org for more information. Robert Siple is a freelance writer, social media blogger and Christian singer who is part of the Jackson County C.E.R.T. team. Contact him at rsiple@windstream.net or visit www.RobertSiple.com.
LeAnne Akin The Paper
Ricky Fitzpatrick with wife Cretia, daughter Emma and son Jude at the April 12 unveiling of the new signage.