Divisions

Tim Prather Division Chief of Operations

Operations Division Tim Prather serves as the Division Chief of Operations. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of fire and emergency services including the monitoring of staffing procedures and budget activity, the evaluation of policies and procedures and the handling of grievances externally and internally. Chief Prather was raised in a firefighting family resulting in over 30 years of firefighting experience. His father was a retired Fire Chief with the city of Jasper. He joined the Jasper Volunteer Fire Department at the age of 15 with the understanding that he would be under the direct supervision of his father. After graduation from Pickens High School, Chief Prather became a full-time firefighter with City of Jasper. In September 1977, he joined the United States Marine Corp and eventually served with the Twenty-nine Palms Marine Air Ground Combat Center where he also worked as a structure firefighter for the corps from 1979-80. From 1980 until 1987, Chief Prather worked in law enforcement with the Jasper Police Department and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department. In 1987, Prather graduated from Reinhardt College with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. In 1987, Chief Prather began his career with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services and eventually received his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification a year later. In 1990, he became a founding organizer for Bethany-Salem Volunteer Fire Department in Pickens County, where he presently serves as the department’s Fire Chief. Chief Prather is also Chairman of the Pickens County Fire Chief Association. Prior to becoming Chief of Operations, he served as a company officer at fire station 20, located off Bells Ferry Road, in southwestern Cherokee County.