On March 5, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, DeKalb Fire Chief Darnell Fullum and AMR Vice President Chris Valentin announced the phase-in of operations of the new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) hub on Buford Highway.
“What we are achieving today are better response times and a system that we can all be proud of,” said CEO Thurmond. “It sets the tone for other jurisdictions to follow because this is not just a problem in DeKalb or Brookhaven. It is a top priority for all of us to reduce response times when there is an emergency,” “We have created a model that can and will be replicated all across this state and all across this nation.”
“Everybody wants to improve public safety response times and in a spirit of partnership, the City and the County have collaborated to improve the lives of our residents,” said Mayor Ernst. “It goes to show you that powerful things can happen when governments work together.”
The hub provides a local station where EMS personnel can change shifts and keep the ambulances closer to their service area in northern DeKalb County and includes:
- 3,300 square feet of operating space
- A training room for programs and community education offerings
- A deployment center for six new ambulances
- An AMR on-duty supervisor, who will be stationed out of the Brookhaven hub.
The City of Brookhaven bought the property, formerly used as a QuikTrip gas station in October 2018, for $1.7 million. The City of Brookhaven invested $185,000 toward renovations to convert the facility into an EMS hub. Under the terms of the lease agreement with DeKalb County, the County will pay $3,000 per month not to exceed the overall cost of the renovations.
1300 Commerce Drive Decatur, GA 30030
