July 15, 2016
Board of
Commissioners
Henry County Welcomes New Fire Chief
Regular Meetings July 19 at 6:30 PM August 2 at 9:00 AM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
Chief Nish Willis takes the oath of office as Henry County’s new Fire Chief, while family and friends look on. Pictured (l. to r.) County Manager Lyndon Bonner, Chief Willis, son Benjamin Clarke, grandsons Thomas and Bobby Clarke; husband Bryan Willis, father Ralph Nishiyama, sister Rita Cowgill-and best friend Belinda Stubblefield.
Henry County Fire Chief Brenda Nishiyama “Nish” Willis took her oath of office earlier this week during a welcome ceremony kicking off the new chief’s first day of service to Henry County. Willis was administered an oath by County Manager Lyndon Bonner, and was surrounded by her family members and best friend during a ceremony that took place on July 11, 2016. Deputy Chief Brad Johnson offered words of welcome and encouragement to Willis, and Bonner said the theme of the day was “family first.” “The Henry County Fire Department is made great by the family relationships it has fostered in service to others,” he said. After taking her oath, Willis’ father, Ralph Nishiyama, pinned the HCFD patch on her uniform, and her husband Bryan and son Benjamin Clarke pinned the bugles on her jacket. In addition to family and friends, in attendance were former coworkers from Continued on page 2
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July 15, 2016 Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
Layout Designer Samantha Watson
Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams
New Fire Chief from page 1
Atlanta and Riverdale, along with instructors from her early days in fire service. “The theme of today is family, and as I look around the room, I truly see family,” said Willis. Willis has spent more than 40 years in fire service and brings a wealth of education and experience to the position. She most recently served the citizens of Riverdale, Georgia as their Fire Chief, having held the post since 2012. In the Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department, Chief Willis distinguished herself as a highly motivated, career-oriented firefighter. She was one of the first 20 female firefighters hired by the Atlanta Fire Department, and she was the first female to serve on the department’s prestigious hazardous materials and technical rescue unit. She served as the Deputy Chief of Airport Operations the last year of her career with Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. Chief Willis has a Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration. She is an adjunct faculty member with the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland and is called to teach classes throughout the United States. Chief Willis was an adjunct instructor at DeKalb Technical College and is a certified fire instructor at the Georgia State Fire Academy.
District III Commissioner Gary Barham congratulates Chief Willis and welcomes her to the Henry County Fire Department at her swearing in ceremony.
henrycounty-ga.org
HCPD Traffic Unit Unveils New Vehicle Fleet The Henry County Police Department unveiled four new 2016 Chevrolet Tahoes on July 6 that were newly added to the department’s traffic unit. Members of the traffic unit, District I Commissioner Bo Moss, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince and Police Chief Keith Nichols attended the unveiling at the Henry County Public Safety Complex. Completely outfitted with updated equipment, the vehicles cost $52,859.54 each for a total of $211,438.16, which was paid for in full with seized drug funds. To keep up with HCPD news, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/police.
Officers from the HCPD Traffic Unit pose in front of their new fleet of Chevy Tahoes during the unveiling event on July 6 at the Henry County Public Safety Complex.
Multiple Locations for Nightly Lane Closures on South Metro Express Lanes Construction activities on the South Metro Express Lanes on Interstate 75 south of Atlanta continue this week. The contractor will be working on Interstate 75 north and southbound at various locations and on SR 20 near Willow Lane. Weather permitting; work will be performed within 2 mile increments of installed lane closures. Drivers are urged to slow down and proceed cautiously throughout these work zones. Motorists should expect heavy congestion throughout the entire 12-mile work zone area. Alternate routes are available and should be considered. Work will occur as follows: I-75 Northbound: MP 215– 216; right lane closure Tuesday, July 12 at 9 p.m. moving to a double lane closure at midnight through Wednesday, July 13 at 5 a.m. for overhead AVI equipment installation. I-75 Southbound: MP 228– 226; right lane closure Tuesday, July 12 through Thursday, July 14 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. for paving.
MP 225– 223; left lane closure beginning Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. for paving. SR20 Westbound: MP 10.8 at Willow Lane, Tuesday, July 12 through Sunday, July 17 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for demolition. Motorists are advised to slow down and proceed with caution through this area; workers and heavy equipment will be in close proximity to the roadway. Every day Georgia DOT employees work on roadways in close proximity to travel lanes. Whether they’re in maintenance, in construction or are HEROs, it’s dangerous. Fifty-eight Georgia DOT personnel and many more motorists, passengers and contractors’ workers have been killed in work zone crashes since 1973. When you drive in a work zone, obey the rules: Pay Attention - Slow Down - Watch for Workers. It can make the difference between life and death. Visit www.dot.ga.gov/DS/SafetyOperation/Workzone.
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July 15, 2016 County Cuts Ribbon on Newly Paved Harris Drive
A ribbon cutting for the completed SPLOST transportation project for the paving of 1.25 miles of Harris Drive in Locust Grove took place on July 14. Henry County Chairman Tommy Smith, District I Commissioner Bo Moss and SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero were in attendance for the ribbon cutting. “This is one of three paved roads that we’ve done in District I, and it’s a good connectivity road. We are making great strides and progress in District I,” commented Commissioner Moss. “I appreciate the people that voted for SPLOST.” Wolverton & Associates was the design engineer and Southeastern Site Development was the construction contractor. The construction itself cost $1,668,188.12 and the whole project, including design, utility reconstruction and construction totaled $2,542,681.45. For more information on ongoing SPLOST IV projects, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.
(l. to r.) SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero, SPLOST Engineer Chae Yi, District I Commissioner Bo Moss, SPLOST Project Manager Bert Bivins, Chairman Tommy Smith.
henrycounty-ga.org
Fire Dive Team Equipment Receives Critical Upgrade Dive rescue and recovery is a very specialized form of technical rescue requiring a rapid response and decisive action. The Henry County Fire Department recognizes that the advancement in technology and equipment for divers is important to their safety and fulfilling their duties. In a move to improve upon the effectiveness of dive operations, the department purchased a Lowrance HDS Gen 3 sonar/ chartplotter.
The Lowrance High Definition System integrates leading-edge technologies and latest advances in navigation into one single unit. The dive team now has available to them CHIRP Sonar, Structure Scan, and Down Scan imagery. Overlay technology allows one to view these technological advances at the same time to get the best possible view of the target. “This enables us to see picture-like images both below and to the sides, regardless of water clarity, and provides ultra-accurate search paths that eliminate covering the same water multiple times,” stated dive team member Robin Richardson. The addition of this unit will substantially reduce rescue/recovery times, as well as, provide an added safety measure for divers in the form of less underwater time and fewer dives. Sonar allows searchers to visualize large amounts of area in only minutes, to locate the victim and also see what hazards are present for our divers. Safety is the dive team’s number one priority. However, the real benefactors of this new technology are the citizens and visitors of Henry County by providing closure for an otherwise lost loved one.
Henry County Fire Department Receives American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition Award The Henry County Fire Department has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the most deadly type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. Unfortunately, a significant number of STEMI patients don’t receive this prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate these patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients. Emergency Medical System providers are vital to the success of Mission: Lifeline. EMS agencies perform 12-lead ECGs which measure the electrical activity of the heart and can help determine if a heart attack has occurred. They also follow protocols derived from American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines. These correct tools, training, and practices allow EMS providers to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center, and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel. Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Silver award have demonstrated at least 75 percent
compliance for each required achievement measure for one year. “EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said James Jollis, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can shave precious minutes of life-saving treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals. We applaud the Henry County Fire Department for achieving this award that shows it meets evidencebased guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.” “We are dedicated to making our EMS service among the best in the country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by implementing processes for improving systems of care with the goal of improving the quality of care for all acute coronary syndrome patients,” said interim Fire Chief Brad Johnson. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care for all cardiac patients.”
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