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Getting to Know the Family at Station #4

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Left to right, Lt. Keith Fitzpatrick, FF Travis Button, FF Isaac Smith, Capt. Brian Rogers, FF Adam D’Alessandro, and DE Michael Poe. (Photos by Kris Bird)

It’s a dream for many women to spend a day in a firehouse. For this author, I will never forget my day of getting to know the incredible servicemen at Station #4 in Peachtree Corners.

As I sat down with them, they were receiving calls and requests. One man walked in asking for jumper cables and was back on his way within minutes. Your local Fire Department really does it all! In fact, when Station #4 was demolished by the tornado in 1998, the crew continued to work out of a trailer in the parking lot.

In the wake of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and Fire Prevention Week, observed during the first week of October, it’s time you get to know your local firefighters / lifesavers / superheroes.

Busy heroes

Station #4 is one of the busiest fire stations in the county. In fact, Adam D’Alessandro said that some nights, he ends up sleeping on the truck. Last year during COVID, they didn’t even see a drop in calls, just a change in the types of calls they received.

D’Alessandro has been at Station #4 for a year and a half. He didn’t originally want to be a firefighter; instead, he started out in the Gwinnett County Parks and Rec department, in the aquatics sector.

He said that in all the years he would have an emergency and need to call 911, Station #4 would always show up to the pool, so he got used to working with the people he would later call his family.

In case our readers are wondering who answered the call for the “runaway pig” story that swept the nation, Captain Brian Rogers remembers it well. The pigs were on their way to a robotics arm lab to be tested under robot arm surgery before the truck carrying them flipped. He stated that, “that isn’t the only highway runaway animal call we have gotten.”

Captain Rogers lives up to his Marvel superhero name — Captain America’s “secret” identity is Captain Steve Rogers — and maintains that firefighters are humble individuals who don’t like talking to people about themselves and aren’t looking for praise. Still, firefighters are “ordinary people who do extraordinary things.”

Captain Rogers has been at Station #4 since 2015, and he has been a firefighter for Gwinnett County since 1998, so he has seen a change in the types of calls firefighters are responsible for.

“Whoever thought back then that this would be a thing?” he asked, looking back over the many ways the fire department has changed — from fires to EMS to hazmat, then terrorism, and now pandemics and whatever else may come along.

In fact, when he graduated from college, through the firefighter college tuition reimbursement program, one of the papers he wrote was titled, “When the UFOs land, the Fire Department will be the first to arrive.”

As the list of tasks for your neighborhood firefighter gets longer, Captain Rogers has noticed a generational change. The younger generations seem to put more value on being with their families and loved ones than trying to supplement their income with another side job.

Did you know that firefighters work an average of 800 more hours a year than the average American? And most members of the department have young children to go home to and care for once their shifts are over.

Captain Rogers said he thinks it’s because the younger generations watched their parents work hard and dump everything into their jobs, only to have it ripped away in the crash of 2008. He likes to say that “they aren’t in it for the income, they are in it for the outcome.”

More members of the family

Isaac Smith, aka “Tiny Tim,” aka “The Rookie,” knows that he’s part of the family, even though he has only been part of Station #4 for a few months. Smith is fresh out of the academy, having completed “Fire 1 and EMT training,” and looking to go back to school for “Fire 2” shortly. He said that he got into becoming a firefighter because “you get to serve the public and get paid. They also take physical fitness very seriously.”

This author was there to witness the firefighters putting on their full gear and oxygen masks just to work out in the gym! Smith loves the opportunity to work with such a close-knit group, and he has made it his priority to learn and gain experience while “learning his new family.”

When asked whether firefighters really are good cooks, Smith assured me that if you don’t go into the fire department being a good cook, you will certainly leave as one.

Travis Button is one such great cook, and apparently being the “Truck Tailboard” means you also have to be the best chef. Like the front position in a bobsled, Button “has to work harder than anyone; he is the first one to show up, and the last to leave.”

Button checks every inch of the firetruck at the beginning of his shift. He has been hand chosen as the eyes and ears at the back of the truck, and he is the one who cooks and cleans for his crew at the end of his shift. Button said that his biggest struggle, since joining Station #4 a year and a half ago has been “not letting the job become your life.” With over 1700 hours of overtime under his belt, that can’t be easy.

Button has his paramedic certification, on top of his Fire 1 & 2, and EMT certifications, which means he has the highest non-hospital medical certification you can get. He mused that the funniest call he ever got was the “gas leak” they investigated that turned out to be a litterbox.

Brian Gaeth had been a firefighter for 11 years for the Gwinnett County Fire Department. Just two months ago, he transitioned into his role as Public Information Officer. Gaeth handles breaking news requests from the press and social media presence. He said the biggest struggle from the past year was navigating the nuances associated with COVID, since a fire department is essentially a family unit, and they spend the same amount of time together as a real family.

Working closely with the Gwinnett County Communications Department, Gaeth is gearing up for Fire Prevention Week and just got finished coordinating for Gwinnett Fire to observe the 9/11 anniversary at the Gwinnett County Fallen Heroes Memorial, where they can be found every year.

Keith Fitzpatrick, who is the current Lieutenant for the C-shift at Station #4, opened up about some of the less gratifying parts of the job. Fitzpatrick has worked at Station #4 for a year and a half. Before that he earned nine years of experience as a medic.

He is a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program, which offers regular counseling to help combat the trauma that firefighters are exposed to. The organization meets with firefighters who have experienced extreme emotional strain in hopes of preventing depression and suicide.

Fitzpatrick spoke of the firefighter gene that ran in his family. At the age of 17, he got to go on his first ride-along with his cousin. His father begged him not to become a firefighter, knowing how dangerous the job was. But, he said, years later his dad came around when he saw how much the job meant to him.

Captain Rogers let me in on a Station #4 tradition: whoever is featured in the press has to buy ice cream for the rest of the crew. Well, guys, looks like you’re having an ice cream party this week!

What you need to know about Fire Prevention Week

According to Adam D’Alessandro, “Families need to make a plan, especially families with young kids. And don’t forget that we install smoke detectors for you for free.”

Keith Fitzpatrick added, “This Fire Prevention Week will focus on knowing the sounds of fire safety. If your smoke detector is beeping, have the batteries replaced. If the fire alarm is going off, don’t think it is a drill, just get outside.”

Kris Bird is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who specializes in Marketing and Communications. After earning her degree from Stony Brook University, Kris has been working as a science fiction and fantasy novelist for the past decade.

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City of Peachtree Corners

A Look at this Year’s Memorial Day Challenge and Ceremony

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Veterans and city officials in front of a veterans' monument on memorial day 2025

On Memorial Day last month, Peachtree Corners residents, officials, veterans and business leaders joined together on the Town Green to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.

The day started with a special 9 a.m. ceremony at the city’s Veterans Monument to recognize that sacrifice and honor the lives of those who died while serving. As in previous years, the ceremony was organized by the Peachtree Corners Veterans Association and included the raising of the flag, placing of the wreath, remarks from city officials and a moment of silence.

For this year’s event, three keynote speakers — each connected to the community and now at a different place in their journey of service to our nation — were also invited to address the gathered crowd.

The 2025 keynote speakers

Sean Balderas (Norcross High 2025) — Sean was accepted to the Naval Academy and begins his military career there this fall.

Kellen Grave de Peralta (Norcross High 2020) — Kellen graduated from the Naval Academy in May and will attend flight school as a 2nd LT in the Marines.

Justin White (Wesleyan School graduate) — Justin graduated from the USNA in 2014 and completed his service commitment a few years ago as a Marine Officer. He now works as a consultant for Bain & Company.

Each speaker talked about what Memorial Day means to them and also shared their thoughts on the importance of service.

Memorial Day Youth Challenge 2025

Following the ceremony, the city and the PCVA hosted the Memorial Day Youth Challenge.

Held at Town Green’s Fort Pain, the challenge is a thrilling obstacle course-themed physical competition for kids and teens ages 9 to 18 with the purpose of increasing the knowledge and appreciation of Memorial Day and those we honor.

Each participant was paired with a veteran who served as their judge, safety spotter and cheerleader as they worked their way through the course. Family members and spectators also added to the excitement of the challenge, cheering on the competitors as they gave their all to complete the course in the fastest time.

According to Alex Wright, former U.S. Naval officer, Peachtree Corners councilmember and a founder of the Memorial Day Challenge, the event had a full field of 45 on race day (with eight no-shows), and 37 racers completed the course.

Each competitor received a t-shirt, dog tags and refreshments for attempting the challenge, and first and second place finishers also received awards during a short ceremony following the race. 

Community contributions

Several local businesses also contributed to the success of this year’s Memorial Day Challenge with both material donations and volunteer support. King of Pops Peachtree Corners was on hand to give out popsicles for participants, and Vox-pop-uli provided the challenge t-shirts and signs.

Photos courtesy of Jim Stone, TYTAN Pictures.

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Community

Peachtree Corners Festival Awards Debbie Mason Drama Scholarship for 2025

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A young woman wearing a long, floor-length dress receiving a $1000 scholarship for drama. She's standing on stage with two men, holding a large version of the check. The background is a dark blue curtain.

On May 9, the Peachtree Corners Festival awarded the Debbie Mason Memorial Scholarship for Drama to an outstanding Norcross High School drama senior. The recipient was Elizabeth “Ella” Armes, a student who has been involved in the Norcross High School drama department for four years and was most recently the primary stage manager directing the high school’s performances.  

According to Terry Gabbard, director of theater at Norcross High School, Ella “was vital to the success of our program. She is an incredible young lady who will be continuing her studies in media and the arts in college.”

In fact, Ella plans to continue her education and work in theater and communications at Kennesaw State University starting this fall.

This marks the third year that the Peachtree Corners Festival has awarded the drama scholarship in the name of the late Peachtree Corners Festival co-founder, Debbie Mason.

In addition to being the first “First Lady” of the city of Peachtree Corners, Debbie and her family were long-time supporters of the drama program at Norcross High School. After her passing in 2023, the Peachtree Corners Festival established the Debbie Mason Memorial Scholarship for Drama as an appropriate way to honor her legacy.

About the Peachtree Corners Festival

The Peachtree Corners Festival is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) volunteer organization dedicated to bringing a safe, wholesome and family-friendly festival to the city of Peachtree Corners each year.

The organization’s goal is to foster community pride and civic involvement, not just through the weekend-long festival, but by giving back and supporting education and beautification initiatives within the city and recognizing deserving members of the community.

This year’s Peachtree Corners Festival will take place on the Town Green, September 20–21.

For more information, visit peachtreecornersfestival.com.

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Community

The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event

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A group of people standing together at a business event, holding a large check made out for $500 to Light Up the Corners

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) awarded a check for $500 to Light Up the Corners at their May 2025 Business After Hours event.

Light Up the Corners, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, organizes the annual Glow Run and Twilight Trot — a nighttime, community celebration that’s equal parts race, fun run, party and fundraiser.

This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at The Forum in Peachtree Corners. The 1K Twilight Trot will start at 8 p.m., and the four-mile Glow Run will begin at 8:30 p.m. After the runners have crossed the finish line, a fun, post-race party will follow.

All proceeds from the Light Up the Corners event go to benefit less fortunate children and families in the community by giving them the chance to participate in life-enhancing programs and activities at the Fowler YMCA

A history of charitable donations

PCBA’s donation to Light Up the Corners will help the organization meet its goal of assisting struggling families through their Why It Matters campaign. It’s the latest in a series of donations that PCBA has made over the years through their community outreach program.

“We are so proud that the PCBA has awarded 20 scholarships to outstanding future business leaders and donated in excess of $173,500 into our metro Atlanta community over the last 13 years,” said Lisa Proctor, PCBA board president.

Funds for PCBA’s community outreach program are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorships and Tailgates and Touchdowns, an annual charity event they hold each August. Donations and scholarships are awarded at their Business After Hours events so that their members have the opportunity to learn more about the community organizations.

About Peachtree Corners Business Association

The Peachtree Corners Business Association is a business membership organization that focuses on innovative approaches, programs, shared resources, community outreach and opportunities for member businesses and professionals to connect, develop, grow and prosper.  

The PCBA is made up of businesses of all sizes and types that want to expand their reach and grow their business within Peachtree Corners and the greater metro Atlanta area. 

For more information call 678-969-3385, email membership@peachtreecornersba.com or visit peachtreecornersba.com.

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