August 6, 2015
Board of
New Fire Trucks Put into Service
Commissioners Regular Meetings August 18 at 6:30 PM September 1 at 9:00 AM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings will air Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
The HCFD’s new fire trucks were officially unveiled before the regular Commission meeting held on August 4, 2015. On hand were the Henry County Board of Commissioners, Fire Chief Bill Lacy, Interim County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews and fire department and county personnel.
With safety always at the forefront, the Henry County Fire Department recently placed two new Class A Fire Engines into service, replacing two older vehicles that are no longer serviceable. The new trucks were purchased from Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc. of Holden, Louisiana at a cost of $358,190 for each fire truck. The trucks are to replace older models in the department’s fleet that have been in use for the past twenty years. Ideally, fire trucks are replaced every ten years or as needed. Fire Department officials and
District 4 Commissioner Blake Prince travelled down to Louisiana to pick up the new fire trucks. “It was a very educational trip and I have a much better understanding of what type of fire apparatus will serve Henry County best. I am happy that we were able to secure these much-needed fire trucks which will enable our fire professionals to continue doing the excellent job they do in serving the community,” said Prince. For more information on the Henry County Fire Department, visit www.co.henry.ga.us/Fire/.
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August 6, 2015 Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler
Layout Designer Samantha Watson
Contributors Samantha Watson Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams
14th Annual Tennis Clinic to Be Held on August 8 The Jac Roth Annual Free Tennis Clinic will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Richard Craig Park in McDonough with registration starting at 8:15 a.m. The first 50 participants to register will receive a free T-shirt! The clinic is free to everyone and open to all age and experience levels. Participants will learn the basic fundamentals of the serve, volley, forehand and backhand from experienced volunteer tennis instructors. Equipment will be provided by the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department as well as the instructors themselves. A free cook out/weenie roast will follow the event. henrycounty-ga.org
Henry County Extension to Offer Lunch and Learn on Fall Gardening Despite sweltering temperatures, fall is quickly approaching and any good gardener knows that you have to plant in August if you plan to harvest before the first freeze of winter. Gardener and UGA Extension Agent, Frank Hancock knows that now is the time to begin planting. He will be hosting a Lunch and Learn seminar on the do’s and don’ts of fall gardening on August 11 at noon in Room A of the Extension Office at 97 Lake Dow Road. Hancock, co-host of Henry TV’s Garden Delights, will be lecturing on seeds, plant and fertilizer types, garden planning, soil preparation, micro and macronutrients, cultivation and harvesting. He has already started planting his own medley of vegetables and will demonstrate the effectiveness of pot/bucket growing. Pack a lunch and bring it down to the UGA Extension Office to learn more about how you can start or improve upon your fall garden. For more information on the UGA Cooperative Extension please visit www.caes.uga.edu/extension/henry/.
Flourishing crops from the Henry County Farmers Market which operates every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Aug. 27.
Commissioner Bruce Holmes To Host Town Hall Meeting Focus will be on Community Outreach in Henry County District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will hold his monthly Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 9 a.m. at Global Impact Church in Stockbridge. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion on Connecting Henry, Inc. a non-profit organization and the local branch of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Inc. in Henry County, as well as the newly created National Association of Black Veterans Southern Crescent, Chapter 112 in Henry County. Special guest speakers include Susan Crumbley, Executive Director of Connecting Henry, Inc., and Crystal Dickens, the founder of NABVETS Southern Crescent and a 20-year veteran of the United States
Marine Corps. Immediately following the town hall meeting, NABVETS Southern Crescent Chapter 112 will host their installation ceremony and kickoff meeting, Susan Crumbley and Crystal officially opening Dickens. the chapter. The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Global Impact Church is located at 125 Red Oak Rd. in Stockbridge, GA 30281.
Henry County Fire Academy Receives New Training Aid With funds generated by the Henry County Fire Department Paramedic Academy, the Henry County Fire Academy purchased a state of the art, life-sized simulation manikin manufactured by Laerdal. Commonly referred to as SimMan, the realistic training manikin is used for simulating a wide range of basic and advanced life saving skills in medical emergencies. This new training aid will supplement training through the Department’s paramedic program and annual recertification. The Laerdal SimMan allows emergency responders to perfect advanced life saving skills and decision-making abilities in areas of airway control, spontaneous breathing conditions, palpation and auscultation, ECG interpretations and defibrillation. Students rehearse both common clinical scenarios and critical incidents for improved real patient outcomes. Laerdal representatives taught HCFD instructors the skills needed to operate and manage this instructional aid in the educational environment. Aided
by the SimPad System, instructors can integrate preprogrammed simulation content designed to provide students with realistic scenario-based training. SimPad utilizes interactive touch screen technology, providing instructors with real-time controls and customizable scenarios to create a unique learning experience. Students receive a valuable learning experience thru advanced technology.
Henry County Fire Department personnel learn how to use their newest training apparatus.
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August 6, 2015 Good ‘Ole Family Fun: Henry County National Night Out 2015
henrycounty-ga.org
Commissioner Bruce Holmes to be Made Honorary Member of NABVETS District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will be made an honorary member of the new Southern Crescent Chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans (NABVETS) when they hold their induction ceremony and kickoff meeting following his monthly town hall meeting, which will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 9 a.m. Holmes has worked with Crystal Dickens, founder of NABVETS Southern Crescent Chapter 112, to help facilitate the new chapter, which is the only one in the state. Dickens is a ten year veteran of the United States Marine Corp where she served as a diesel mechanic/ truck driver, logistics and embarkation specialist, a drill instructor, rifle range coach and nuclear biological chemical warfare specialist. She also retired from the VA Medical Center Pain Management Department in 2012.
Dickens said this is the only chapter of the NABVETS organization in the state of Georgia and she is proud to be a part of such an important venture. She said she welcomes all veterans to take part and looks forward to organizing and helping fellow veterans. In addition to being the founder, she is also Vice Commander of membership. Other officers for the NABVETS Southern Crescent Chapter include National Command Richard Kornegay, U.S. Army (ret), Commander Carlton Young, USMC (ret.) and Vice Commander of Operations, Willie Brantley, USMC (ret.). For more information of NABVETS Southern Crescent, please contact Dickens at nabvets112@gmail.com.
HCPD Chief Attends Annual Summer Training Conference As part of his continuing education and training in the administration of law enforcement, Henry County Police Chief Keith Nichols recently attended the 2015 Annual Summer Training conference sponsored by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Heads of law enforcement agencies from throughout the state participated in the four-day conference. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police is responsible for the delivery of training to the chiefs of Georgia’s police departments and law enforcement agencies. The Summer Training Conference was held at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center from July 26 through July 29. This year’s conference covered a variety of topics such as Body Cameras, Perspectives on Policing from the Georgia Supreme Court, Managing Media in Mass Casualty Events, DOJ Findings & Ferguson Review, Hard Lessons for Law Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations,
and Liability Trends. Chief Nichols was among more than 548 heads of law enforcement agencies attending the 48th Annual Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Summer Training Conference. Chief George Turner of the Atlanta Police Department and President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, stated, “The law enforcement executives in attendance now have the opportunity to put the key ideas and concepts to work in their own communities with the purpose of more effectively partnering with the citizens of Georgia and striving to overcome the tremendous challenges that law enforcement faces.” For more information on the Henry County Police Department, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/police.
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August 6, 2015 Henry County Police Add to K-9 Unit Two new patrol and narcotics canines will be joining the Henry County Police Department to assist the current service canines with patrol routes they have been taking on since the retirement of the male Belgian Malinois, Pipo, who retired this past June. Currently the department has two dogs in the K-9 Unit.
“I’m excited to get these canines in the force because we’re down to two service animals now and they’re working overtime. I’m excited to see the two new canines coming into the county,” commented District IV Commissioner Blake Prince. The Police Department Command Staff allocated in the 2015-2016 budget for two dual purpose patrol and narcotics canines totaling $29,000.00 to be purchased from K-9 Concepts, Inc. Commissioners approved the purchase of the new police dogs at the August 4 Commission meeting. In related news, the Commissioners approved the purchase of new police uniforms at a cost of $75,800.00 from Galls, Inc. and the hiring of five substitute crossing guard positions at no additional cost.
Retired patrol and narcotics canine, Pipo, with his handler, Officer Torbush.
Henry County Special Olympics Athlete Brings Home the Gold Special Olympics World Summer Games equestrian athlete, Jennifer Maddox, brings three Olympic medals home to Henry County after two weeks of competition in Los Angeles, California with Team USA. Maddox was the only Equestrian Division athlete from Georgia to compete at the World Summer Games. She participated in numerous events but won a gold medal in equitation, a silver medal in dressage and a bronze medal in working trail. Maddox joined the Henry County Special Olympics in 2003 as a softball and basketball athlete henrycounty-ga.org
Special Olympic medalist Jennifer Maddox.
and later joined County equestrian competitions in 2010 at the Calvin Center in Hampton. She has competed in several state competitions over the last seven years and recently received a bronze medal in doubles tennis and a silver medal in singles tennis for her performance in the state summer games. Davina Ford, a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for Henry County Parks and Recreation, also attended the games as an assistant coach in kayaking. Her efforts in coaching helped kayaking athletes take home two gold, two silver, two bronze and two fourth place medals.
Henry County Department of Transportation Acquires New Equipment
The Department of Transportation fits their new salt and sand spreaders on on service dump trucks.
It may read 99 degrees on the thermometer, but Henry County wants to assure its citizens that they are ready for whatever weather may come in the fast approaching winter months. In preparation, the Henry County Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) recently added two dump trucks and four salt and sand spreaders to its fleet of service vehicles and machinery, to help keep roads clear and safe in the event of inclement weather. Last December the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution that allowed the D.O.T. to purchase three Warren salt and sand spreaders and one Wausau snow plow from Interstate Truck Equipment which raised their total number of spreaders to six. The equipment was just recently delivered. The spreaders can be hooked up to any dump truck and can be ready for use in the span of an hour. To accommodate the new spreaders, Commissioners authorized the D.O.T. to purchase two 2015 International Tandem Dump Trucks earlier this year. The new trucks and equipment will allow
transportation personnel to dedicate one truck to be used solely for the critical areas of fire stations, police stations and the roads leading to and around Piedmont Henry Hospital. The other four trucks allow the county to be divided into quadrants to more efficiently remove snow and ice, making roadways safer during inclement weather. The addition of four snow/ice control machines and hydraulics systems including pumps, valves, switches, hoses, quick disconnects and light plugs cost a total of $93,622.00. The price also includes installation. A total of $223,972.00 was allocated for the purchase of the two dump trucks. “This is a great stride for Henry County D.O.T., to help us better manage an ice or snow event, because the safety of our citizens is of the utmost importance,” said Terry McMickle, Director of Henry County’s Department of Transportation. For more information on the D.O.T. please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/HCDOT.
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