News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Alexandria Fire Department can now respond to medical emergencies outside city limits.
DeKalb County Commissioners on Monday approved an inter-local Automatic First Responders agreement with the agency.
County E-911 Director Brad Mullinax said the proposal will benefit a number of people.
“If I was a resident in the town of Alexandria and as far away as the local EMS station is, the primary EMS station,” Mullinax said, “I think the town of Alexandria and DeKalb County residents are going to benefit from this because they’re going to have responders local to the area.”
The agreement allows AFD personnel to provide first-responder services within a five-mile radius of Alexandria city limits. Those services will be provided until DeKalb County EMS arrives on-scene.
When a medical emergency arises, DeKalb County Dispatch will send a specific tone to first responders associated with the Alexandaria Fire Department. The DeKalb County EMS Director would approve the responders selected by the AFD.
Mullinax said AFD currently has a similar agreement with the DeKalb County Fire Department.
“That was done probably about a year and a half, two years ago,” Mullinax said. “They actually fall under DeKalb County EMS, but the fact that they’re wanting to take their city-owned equipment into the county, we felt it was best to have an automatic aid agreement to cover everybody from a liability perspective.”
Alexandria officials approved the latest agreement late last year. The DeKalb County Commission began discussing the idea during last month’s meeting.
