New Public Safety Commission Member Sworn In

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024

Lane Jackson worked as a Dalton firefighter for 23 years. Now, he will help to supervise the work of the department he once served. This morning, he was sworn in as a member of Dalton's Public Safety Commission, the citizen advisory board that oversees the operation of the Dalton Fire Department and the Dalton Police Department. 

"It's looking at it from a different side now versus being in the department when I was there working," Jackson said of working with his old department as a member of the PSC. "I get to see it from a different side and look at everything and get a feel for what these guys are going through." 

Caption: New PSC member Lane Jackson

Jackson worked for the Dalton Fire Department from 1988 until his retirement in 2011. Since then, Jackson has kept up with his old department and visited often. 

"You definitely miss working with those guys on the shift. You're on shift for 24 hours at a time so you really get to know each other, that part of it you really miss," Jackson said. "When the bell goes off, they're calling for us, and they're calling for everybody. Not just one or two guys. So we were like teammates." 

"I tried to stay involved with it, especially when guys have retired. You go back to the retirement parties and then you get to see some of the guys who have retired and you haven't seen in a while," Jackson continued. "There are times when I just drop in, and there are a lot of new faces. I told one of the guys that some of these guys don't look old enough to shave, but that's just the times we're in." 

Jackson's experience in public safety makes him a natural fit for the PSC, but joining the commission wasn't on his radar screen until earlier this year. Jackson approached Mayor Annalee Sams at a Martin Luther King Day celebration in January and the two began a series of conversations about serving the community. Ultimately, those conversations led to his nomination to join the PSC. 

"The next thing you know, I'm getting phone calls," Jackson laughed. "I prayed on it and I realized it's my civic duty, so why not? Having been there and knowing what these guys are dealing with, both the police and fire departments, it made sense." 

Jackson is filling the commission seat that was left vacant by the passing of longtime Public Safety Commission member Bill Weaver last March. 

Below: Lane Jackson was sworn in by City Attorney Jonathan Bledsoe on Tuesday morning and afterwards posed for pictures with family and friends