[PHOTOSTORY 3: ADITL] One man’s trash

By: Molly Bowen

Trey Nichols begins his woodworking process with reclaimed wood. Trey spends the majority of his time working on his land in North Georgia, “I am constantly fixing something,” Nichols said. 

Nichols began restoring the wood by sanding the reclaimed wood by hand. He hopes to use the reclaimed wood to add shelves into his home. 

[PHOTOSTORY 3: ADITL] Macon-Bibb County Fire Station 3: Crew C

 By: Jackson McKenzie

Macon-Bibb County Fire Station 3 sits atop Napier Avenue on a quiet day in Macon, Georgia. The station was built in 2018 and is one of 22 fire stations in the county.

The stations call radio sits atop the watch duty room. Prior to 7:30 a.m. the stations crew rest asleep while one designated person serves in the watch duty room to monitor activities throughout the night should the station receive a call.

Beds line the stations dormitory room where the crew sleeps. The stations crew is 'off-duty' after 5:30 p.m. and are free to rest and relax unless the station receives a call in the middle of the night. 

Trevor Pritchett begins a routine check of Aerial 3's ladder. The first responsibility members of the station have each morning is to examine and test both their firetrucks to ensure they are adequately prepared for a call.

Trevor Pritchett raises Aerial 3's ladder high in the sky during a routine post-call check. Along with inspecting each engine first-thing in the morning, they also have to be reinspected after each call.

Trevor Pritchett attaches a nozzle to Aerial 3's water spout to ensure its functionality. Aerial 3 can hold up to 700 gallons of water at maximum capacity.

Water is released from Aerial 3's water spout. Although the speed at which water exits the truck can be controlled by which nozzle and hose is used, typically all 700 gallons of water will spray out in about 5 minutes.

Trevor Pritchett drives Aerial 3 back into the firehouse after completing its routine post-call check. Pritchett completed his first drive just last week.

Joey Green (left) and Tom Pullen complete pull-ups. Each day the members of the station are required to do group workouts as part of their morning and afternoon routine along with inspecting the firetrucks.

Tom Pullen completes reps on the firehouse's leg extension machine. The firehouse has a dedicated weight room that members of the station use during both scheduled workouts as well as downtime.

A living room area sits inside the station. The living room is used to watch instructional videos during shift hours and also serves as a hang out space after hours for the crew.

A 'Class 1 Fire Department' seal is proudly embroidered on the couches within the station. Macon-Bibb County is one of 50 counties in the nation to hold the coveted classification which is primarily based off water compacity and response times.

The equipment room houses all the equipment shared by the station's firefighters. The station has a surplus of materials that help contribute to the county's Class 1 rating which it has held for 42 years.

Within the station, an officer monitors the security cameras around the outside to detect anyone that may walk directly or drive up to the station. Walk-up's are one of the most common situations this particular station sees during an average day.

Sgt. Jason Hill talks to Macon-Bibb County's fire chief on the phone while preparing a write-up for the call that the station just completed. After every call a write-up must be done to document the situation for statistical purposes.

Capt. Ronald Chancey talks to a 911 dispatcher after the alarm sounds for a gas leak. Chancey is required as a captain to respond to gas leak reports to decide if an engine will be dispatched.

Tom Pullen debates with another station member on the phone about what sauces to buy for their upcoming lunch. Crew C in particular decides to cook every meal while other crews meal prep.

Lt. Matthew Hickey prepares sushi as lunch approaches. Hickey is the 'chef' of the station and cooks every meal the station crew eats.

Sgt. Jason Hill lays out finished rolls of sushi while assisting in lunch preparations. The stations crew typically uses lunch as a natural bridge into the second-half of the day where the station begins to repeat its morning duties.

Macon-Bibb County Fire Station 3 awaits its next call as mid-day begins. Station 3 receives about five calls a day on average.

[PHOTOSTORY 3: ADITL] A Day in the Life of a Farmer

 By: Layne Kafsky 

Chris Kafsky starts his morning by driving to his farm before beginning his day’s work. A typical workday for Kafsky begins around 7 a.m., starting with a cup of coffee before he heads to the farm.

After arriving at his farm Kafsky opens the farm gates as he begins tending to his animals. "My favorite time to be at the farm is early in the morning when the sun is peaking out from behind the trees and everything starts to brighten up," Kafsky said. 

Kafsky feeds his chickens after opening the farm for the day. “The chickens always make me laugh because they’re always excited to see people arrive at the farm. Most people get scared when they run up to them, but they’re really friendly and are usually just looking for food,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky collects eggs from the chicken coop after feeding his chickens. Kafsky said he fills an average of five cartons of eggs each week.

  

Kafsky checks on his beehives after collecting eggs from the chicken coop. “There’s not much I need to do when I check the bees. I usually just look for activity like seeing them fly around to make sure the hives are still there,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky checks his garden to see what has sprouted and what is ready to be picked. His garden includes both an outdoor area and a greenhouse filled with a variety of vegetables.

Kafsky picks the ripe vegetables from his garden before tending to his bison. “I try to pick any ripe vegetables early in the morning because animals like rabbits sometimes like to snack on them,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky loads hay and feed into his 4x4 before driving across the property to feed his bison. The bison live in a separate pasture, making the farm vehicle the easiest way for Kafsky to transport food and supplies to them.

Kafsky opens the gate to the bison pasture before driving his 4x4 into the field. The bison are kept in a separate fenced pasture, so Kafsky must open and close the gate each time he enters to feed and care for them.

Kafsky closes the gate behind him after entering the bison pasture. Because of the bison's size and strength, Kafsky always makes sure the gate is securely closed before tending to the animals to ensure that none escape the pasture. 

Kafsky surveys the bison pasture after entering the field. “The first thing I do is make sure every bison is here and that none of them look sick or injured,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky spreads hay across the pasture for the bison to graze on. “The bison love hay, so I always make sure they have plenty to eat,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky spreads feed across the pasture for the bison to eat. Once the feed is laid out, the bison quickly gather around the food and Kafsky's 4x4.

Kafsky reaches out to one of his bison while checking on the herd in the pasture. “The bison have gotten used to seeing me every day, so they are usually calm when I’m around,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky gently pets one of his bison from his 4x4. “People are often surprised by how calm they can be, but I still make sure to respect their space because they’re incredibly powerful animals,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky drives his 4x4 toward the gate as the bison follow alongside him. “They usually follow me when I leave because they know I’m the one who brings their food,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky secures the pasture gate before leaving the bison enclosure. Before heading home, Kafsky makes one final check to ensure the bison have enough food, water and everything they need for the evening. 

Kafsky inspects a birdhouse he recently built on the farm before leaving for the evening. “I like adding things like birdhouses around the property because it gives wildlife a place to nest and makes the farm feel even more alive,” Kafsky said.

Kafsky walks back to his truck after finishing the day's work on the farm. After spending the day caring for his animals and tending the property, Kafsky heads home to prepare for another early morning.

Kafsky closes the farm gate to secure the property before heading home for the evening. Locking the farm gates is one of the final tasks in Kafsky's daily routine and helps keep his animals safe overnight.

[PHOTOSTORY 3: ADITL] Firefighters Wait For a Call

 By: Cameron Thrash

The Ballentine Station 20 sign outside of the Columbia Fire Department. Also known as the Dutch Fork Fire Rescue, this station was founded in 1979.

Captain Christopher Knoche stands in front of the Columbia Rescue 2 truck. “As the officer, I’m like the supervising person here at the station on our shift, so I’ll get into things like checking our morning calendar to see if we’ve got community events or demos or training schedules throughout the day.”

Captain Christopher Knoche squats next to the spreader and cutter tools. The spreader tool is often referred to as the "jaws of life."

Captain Christopher Knoche opens the jaws of life. This tool is used to dent car doors, bend metal, and move debris that may be trapping someone in a dangerous place.

Engineer David Palevich suits up for a hose demo. Firefighters need to perform demos between calls to ensure the equipment works properly.

The piston intake valve on the fire engine. The piston intake valve connects to a fire hydrant or a tanker to regulate water flow into the fire engine.

Captain Christopher Knoche stands next to the tanker's drop tank. Tankers are used to transport water to places without fire hydrants.

Captain Christopher Knoche discusses the hoses on the fire engine. The hoses can discharge hundreds of gallons of water every minute.

Captain Christopher Knoche sits in the back of the Rescue 2 truck. “An engine primarily carries water and hose, and so their primary function is fire extinguishing. And then when a rescue goes to a call, our primary function is to actually perform search and rescue.”

A training dummy lies on the floor of the fire station. Training dummies are used during search-and-rescue drills to simulate an unresponsive person.

Captain Christopher Knoche discusses the fire engine's pump panel. The engineer uses the pump panel to control water pressure and direct water from various sources.

A water fire extinguisher, a self-contained breathing apparatus, and a CO2 fire extinguisher on the fire rescue truck. A self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, supplies breathable air while fighting fires.

Captain Christopher Knoche rests his hand on the Rescue 2 generator. The generator provides portable power, ensuring crews have power when responding to calls in remote areas.

A rescue pack and a self-contained breathing apparatus on the side of the rescue truck. This rescue pack is specifically designed to rescue firefighters, containing an extra SCBA air cylinder.

Captain Christopher Knoche retrieves a multi-purpose saw from the rescue truck. Firefighters must be prepared to cut a wide variety of materials during different emergency situations.

Senior Firefighter Mark Honeg attaches a 2 1/2-inch supply line to a fire hydrant. A 2 1/2-inch line can distribute up to 500 gallons per minute.

Engineer Davis Palevich demonstrates the use of a 2 1/2-inch fog nozzle. A fog nozzle allows a firefighter to adjust the water stream from a straight stream to a wide-angle cone.

Medical bags and equipment in the cab of the Rescue 2 truck. Firefighters organize this equipment, allowing for rapid response in emergencies.

Fire engine 20 sits parked outside the fire station. Between calls, the engine stays fully loaded so firefighters can immediately respond to emergencies.

A sign outside the Columbia Fire Department encourages locals to become volunteer firefighters. The Columbia Fire Department currently has about 12 volunteer firefighters.