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LOCAL
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 • PAGE 5
COUNTY WIDE
AMR to continue as DeKalb’s ambulance
provider in ‘revamped’ contract
BY ASIA ASHLEY
Asia@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County will
continue to use American
Medical Response as its
emergency ambulance
service provider despite
public criticism of the
provider’s response times.
After more than one year
of working on a contract,
DeKalb County Fire Chief
Darnell Fullum said the
new contract is “revamped”
to include an “increase in
oversight, more realistic
response time expectations,
a well-defined penalty
section, the ability to create
sub-zones, a tiered response
system, updated rate
structure and expectations
for improvement in the
system.”
“What this comes down
to is in 2013, there was a
poorly written contract,” said
District 7 DeKalb County
Commissioner Lorraine
Cochran-Johnson. “One of
the things that fostered that,
I feel, is that there [weren’t]
graduated service delivery
times in terms of the level of
service that was needed.”
The previous contract
had a single performance
number of eight minutes and
59 seconds for at least 90
percent of the time for all
calls.
The updated contract,
Fuller explained, entails
response time requirements
in three groups. Priority
1-3 calls, deemed the most
severe emergencies, are
expected to have a response
time of 11 minutes and
59 seconds or less; Three
additional minutes are
added to Priority 4 calls; and
Priority 5 calls, considered
non-emergency, have a
response time of 29 minutes
and 59 seconds or less.
District 3 DeKalb
County Commissioner
Larry Johnson said some
DeKalb cities have their own
systems for getting calls to
county’s 911 system that
could affect response times.
He added that unpredictable
traffic and accidents can also
impact response times.
Fullum responded that
no more than 10 percent
of response times should
be delayed due to traffic or
other factors, as part of the
new contract.
This year, the county
implemented several
components to help decrease
response times. Ten rapid
response vehicles—
smaller and less expensive
units equipped with fire
extinguishing capabilities as
SEE AMR ON PAGE 8
Lithonia begins search for new police chief
BY JAY PHILLIPS
Jay@dekalbchamp.com
Lithonia is looking for a
new police chief just more
than a year after the city
hired its last police chief,
Annette Williams.
As The Champion
reported earlier, Williams
became DeKalb County
Police Department’s first
Black female lieutenant
and the first Black female
captain of a unit.
Williams also became
the first female police
chief of Lithonia Police
Department when she
was hired Oct. 15, 2018.
However, Williams has
taken a position in another
field, according to Lithonia
City Administrator
Lathaydra Sands.
“[Williams] got a job
offer that she couldn’t
refuse,” Sands said.
In the meantime, Interim
Police Chief Barren
Newton has stepped into the
role, but Newton plans to go
back into retirement once
the city hires its new police
chief, Sands explained.
Lithonia is looking
for someone to implement
long-term and short-term
goals and who is P.O.S.T
certified.
According to gapost.
org, the goal of the Georgia
Peace Officers Standard
and Council Training is
“to provide the citizens
of Georgia with qualified,
professionally trained,
ethical and competent peace
officers and criminal justice
professionals.”
Williams told The
Champion that her goals
included strengthening
the relationship between
law enforcement and the
residents of Lithonia while
finding ways to get more
officers on duty.
Sands said Lithonia
plans to fill the opening by
February.
PUBLIC NOTICE - CITY OF TUCKER 2020 MEETINGS
All of the meetings listed below will be held at the time
indicated at the Tucker Annex Building, 4228 First Ave Suites 2
4 in Tucker, GA in the Council Chambers.
City
Council
Meetings:
Downtown
Development
Authority
(DDA) Mtg:
Community
Council
Meeting:
Zoning
Board of
Appeals
Mtg:
Planning
Commission
Meeting:
7:00 PM
6:30 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
JAN 14
JAN 6
JAN 8
JAN 21
JAN 23
JAN 27
FEB 10
FEB 3
FEB 12
FEB 18
FEB 27
FEB 24
MAR 9
MAR 2
MAR 11
MAR 17
MAR 26
MAR 23
APR 13
APR 6
APR 8
APR 21
APR 23
APR 27
MAY 11
MAY 4
MAY 13
MAY 19
MAY 28
MAY 26
JUN 8
JUN 1
JUN 10
JUN 16
JUN 25
JUN 22
JUL 13
JUL 6
JUL 8
JUL 21
JUL 23
JUL 27
AUG 10
AUG 3
AUG 12
AUG 18
AUG 27
AUG 24
SEP 14
SEP 21
SEP 9
SEP 15
SEP 24
SEP 28
OCT 13
OCT 5
OCT 14
OCT 20
OCT 22
OCT 26
NOV 9
NOV 2
NOV 10
NOV 17
NOV 19
NOV 23
DEC 14
DEC 7
DEC 9
DEC 15
DEC 17
N/A
The Mayor and City Council will hold a Work Session
Meeting at 5:30 PM on the City Council Meeting Dates
and location listed above. An Executive Session may be
held by the Mayor and City Council or the DDA for the
purpose of real estate, litation and/or personnel.
City of Tucker
2019 Report on Projects Funded Through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
(as required by OCGA 48-8-122)
SPLOST V Projects
Year
Approved
Original and
Current
Estimated
Cost
Amount
Expended
Prior Year
Amount
Expended
Current Year
Total
Amount
Expended to
Date
Project
Completed
This Year
Estimated
Completion
Date
Project
Behind
Schedule
Project
Underfunded
Excess
Funds
Roads & Drainage
2017
$19,500,000
$ 36,860
$ 2,853,959
$ 2,890,819
No
2024
No
No
4 -
Multi Modal Improvements
2017
$ 6,000,000
4
$ 251,070
$ 251,070
No
2024
No
No
4
Park and Recreation Facilities
2017
$ 4,500,000
$
$ 172,321
$ 172,321
No
2024
No
No
$
TOTAL
$30,000,000
$ 36,860
$ 3,277,350
$ 3,314,210
