The City of Dunwoody
has been working with CEO Michael Thurmond to improve countywide
emergency ambulance service by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with
DeKalb County.
“My
main objective is to get Dunwoody citizens to the hospital on time and to make
sure they receive an enhanced level of Emergency Medical Services. I have
worked closely with DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond to come up with an
agreement, and I look forward to presenting it to the City Council,” states
Dunwoody Mayor Denis Shortal.
“The
lives and safety of our citizens are our number one priority,” said DeKalb
County CEO Michael Thurmond. “Mayor Denis Shortal and I have worked
cooperatively to ensure the highest level of countywide emergency ambulance
service.”
The
agreement contains the following key provisions:
•
Defined response times: Defined response times for
Advance Life Support calls will include a nine-minute or less, 90 percent
response time for critical life threating calls and 15 minute or less, 90
percent response time for basic life support calls.
•
Dedicated ambulances: Two ambulances are already
stationed at Fire Stations 18 and 21 in the City of Dunwoody. A third will be
posted at Fire Station 12. These units will be dedicated to the service areas
of those fire stations which include Dunwoody and parts of Brookhaven, Chamblee
and Doraville. The county will also add one additional ambulance unit during
the peak hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Friday, to meet the needs required
by the increased daytime population in the Perimeter Center area. The
ambulances serving Dunwoody will be advanced life support units with at least
one paramedic onboard.
•
Technology upgrades: Ambulances stationed in Dunwoody
will be equipped with upgraded technology, including: GPS capabilities,
radio-frequency identification gate access and traffic signal preemption
devices. The costs for the upgrades will be shared equally between the City of
Dunwoody and DeKalb County.
•
Greater collaboration: The cities within the DeKalb
Municipal Association will have an opportunity to give input and review the
county’s 2019 request for proposals for a new ambulance transport contract.
•
Monthly reporting: DeKalb County will provide monthly
reports to the City of Dunwoody that track ambulance response times.
The
agreement will be effective for a one-year term and will automatically renew
until a contract with a new ambulance provider containing the material terms of
the agreement is signed. The Dunwoody City Council is scheduled to review and
vote on the Memorandum of Understanding at the Monday, November 5th, City
Council meeting.
In an article in the AJC, Councilman Terry Nall who has been the champion of this issue looking for improvements stated that this agreement was a step in the right direction. However, “we still await implementation and have accountability and monitoring tasks we require of DeKalb County.”