East Point first responders innovate their way through coronavirus
Disinfectant drive-thrus, new ambulance, federal grant and court going virtual
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Fire department launches disinfectant drive-thrus
First responders in East Point – tasked with serving a city in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic – are making the most of it by snagging a federal grant, putting a new ambulance into service and crafting an ingenious way to sanitize city vehicles.
The fire department has launched disinfectant drive-thrus in its stations to sanitize emergency vehicles and other city vehicles to combat COVID-19. The effort was the brainchild of firefighter Sidney Gooden (photo).
He reached out to OdoBan, a company based in Warner Robbins where Gooden has worked as a firefighter. The company makes cleaners and disinfectants that kill viruses within 60 seconds. OdoBan donated concentrate that makes some 110 gallons of the disinfectant. Pair that with a paint sprayer and the city’s disinfectant drive-thru was born.
“It was their generosity that made this whole thing happen,” Gooden said of OdoBan.
Interim Fire Chief Corey Thornton said the drive-thru serves all city departments.
“We put city departments on a schedule and they come out and we disinfect all their vehicles and it’s at no cost to the city,” Thornton said in the video below.
New ambulance to boost response times
East Point is one of six cities in South Fulton to receive an ambulance to help address increased medical calls during the pandemic. Fulton County leased the six vehicles for $110,000 and will provide them for 90 days, according to the AJC.
The vehicles are “medical first responder units,” which are different from ambulances because these have more gear and so are designated differently, said Fulton’s interim director of emergency services Chris Sweigart.
Sweigart said these vehicles are needed because the turnaround time for first responder units leaving hospitals has increased to 30 minutes from 15-20 minutes.
Councilmember Myron Cook said cities in South Fulton have long pushed for better ambulance service. He praised the addition of the emergency vehicles during a May 4 council meeting.
“We are one of the few cities that will have at least one ambulance assigned to the city,” Cook said. “It doesn’t put the entire fire out but it definitely puts the water on some of the grass. It will help. “
(Photo courtesy City of East Point)
City gets $120,701 grant for coronavirus costs
As the city’s first responders face coronavirus, federal officials are stepping in to help. East Point received a $120,701 grant from the U.S. Justice Department to help fund public safety costs during the pandemic.
The grant from the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program – part of federal stimulus legislation – will help pay for COVID-related supplies for the city’s public safety agencies, including gloves, masks and uniforms.
“Law enforcement resources are stretched thin at every level,” B.J. Pak, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said in a press release. “These funds will be used to directly reinforce critical needs as leaders work to address every contingency.”
The East Point City Council formally accepted the grant on Monday. The city recently awarded hazard pay to hundreds of frontline employees, including firefighters and police officers. At least five public safety employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
Municipal Court takes cases virtual
Faced with coronavirus and a building closed to the public, the East Point Municipal Court turned to Zoom.
The city closed its buildings to the public on March 16 as the pandemic worsened. But facing the potential for a backlog of cases, the court turned to technology – and along the way became one of the first in Georgia to become a fully functioning virtual court.
The court launched the virtual effort on April 22 with five cases and held a second session on May 13. Chief Judge Rashida Oliver (photo) said the effort moved the court into “uncharted territory.”
“When faced with obstacles that shake the very nature in how you do business and serve the community, it is important to be open to new avenues of delivery,” Oliver said in a press release. “Our digital community has afforded us a means to serve and conduct business of the court in a way none of us expected.”
The court took video capabilities already in place, including remote viewing for violent offenders, video screens in the lobby, laptops and iPads, and combined those with Zoom. That allowed people facing court dates to attend virtually – though you can still request your day in (the actual physical) court. But bring a mask and gloves and be ready for physical distancing and a temperature check at the door.
(Photo courtesy City of East Point)
Coronavirus cases inch upward in East Point
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city hit 116, which is an increase of about five percent, according to an epidemiology report released Friday by the Fulton County Board of Health. There were 79 cases in East Point when health officials publicly released the first breakdown of COVID-19 cases on April 22. On May 13, three were 111 cases.
The number of coronavirus cases ranks East Point fifth among the 14 cities in the county, behind Atlanta (1,685 cases or 45.2 percent of the total in Fulton County), South Fulton (424 or 11.4 percent), Sandy Springs (308 or 8.3 percent) and Roswell (205 or 5.5 percent).
East Point’s share of coronavirus cases nearly matches its percentage of the county population. The city’s COVID-19 diagnosis rate is 331.6 per 100,000 people, which is sixth among cities in the county.
Read more coverage of how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting East Point.