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In just a few days the city of Vidalia Fire Department will be the gathering place for firefighters from around the state, and Vidalia Fire Chief Brian Sikes expects approximately 200 firefighters from around the state to attend.

“We are hosting the Chief Lee Kirkland Firefighter Training Conference on June 10, from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., at the Vidalia Community Center,” Chief Sikes said. “These are hours of training that are required of firefighters in Georgia and officials from the state’s Fire Academy will be on hand doing the instruction.”

The conference is named after a longtime friend and colleague of Chief Sikes, and the local Chief explains why he chose to name the Firefighter Training Conference as he did.

“Chief Lee Kirkland was a great man and was inspirational in helping us form the first conference we had here in Vidalia before COVID hit,” the local Fire Chief says. “Chief Kirkland was from Milan, Georgia, and passed away a few years ago. We want to honor him and his legacy as a firefighter so we decided to name the conference after him and that will be the name going forth as we hope to have this event every year in Vidalia in the future.”

A ceremony officially changing the name of the conference will be held at lunch when Chief Kirkland’s family will also be recognized and presented with gifts.

In addition to the Kirkland family being honored, Georgia Fire and Safety Commissioner John King has accepted an invitation to address the firefighters at lunch.

While the day is geared toward firefighters honing their skills, having the conference in Vidalia means not only is the city in the spotlight, but it will also bring in tourism revenue for the city.

“That’s exactly right,” Chief Sikes declared. “They will be staying in our motels, eating at our restaurants and buying things and it’s just a great opportunity to show off our city and our hospitality to these guests.”

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