Dawson County Fire Chief Lanier Swafford was recently elected president of the Georgia State Firefighter’s Association.

An installation ceremony was held Saturday night at the group’s annual banquet in Dalton.

“I’m very humbled and honored at the confidence the membership has to put me in this position,” Swafford said.

Established in 1952, the Georgia State Firefighter’s Association serves more than 5,000 members and provides them with an active network and resources for information, communication and representation on a state and national level.

Swafford joined the volunteer organization nearly 15 years ago to become involved and interact with fire service personnel from across the state.

“It offers such a wide opportunity for impact, and it seemed like a great opportunity for me,” he said.

Swafford started his career in the fire service in 1989 as a volunteer firefighter and climbed the ranks. He was named chief in 2007.

As president, Swafford will chair the group’s seven-member board of directors, which in one of its first orders of business voted Saturday to enter into an agreement with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia to oversee the group’s business operations and conference management.