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THE SOUTHERN TORCH / FRIDAY, November 26, 2021 / VOL. 7, NO. 48 / $1.00
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Outdated Equipment A thing of the Past
responsibility to leave the next generation of Emergency Responders with a better system than we have been left with. The strain placed on our outdated system by Covid 19 response has increased the urgency of this project by multiples.” Motorola Corporation was on hand at the meeting to demonstrate a suite of systems that would drastically increase efficiency, safety, and response time in all areas of response. These systems operate cohesively but independently so that all response agencies have a situational awareness of what is happening county wide but share certain common data such as current addressing information. This system will allow responders to be much more efficient in response time, save the taxpayers money in
By Marla Jones Managing Editor
marla@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala. —In the Spring of this year, DeKalb County Sheriff Welden, hosted a meeting with DeKalb County Fire Departments, Rescue Squads, 911, Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Municipal Police Departments, and Elected Officials. Welden outlined problems with Communications, Jail Management, Record Management, Civil Process Management, and other Data Systems in DeKalb County. Welden was concerned with outdated equipment throughout the County. “We have made great strides in bolstering up our 1970’s technology. Most of it is no longer serviceable, due to the parts no longer being produced. We pray every day that we don’t get a lightning strike. We have utilized temporary fixes such as; FirstNet as a band aid and purchased second-hand used equipment in order to provide
Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS services to the residents of Dekalb County.” “ The time has come that we are forced to make hard choices.
Due to the fact that no money has ever been placed in reserve or budgeted to keep up with technology, we are placed in a very difficult position” stated Welden. “ We have a
>See Equipment, P4
Thanksgiving: Four Hundred Years Later
By Marla Jones Managing Editor marla@southerntorch.com
NE ALABAMA-- All our life, we have heard stories of the Mayflower leaving Plymouth, New England in 1620, on a journey full of people searching for religious freedom. We have
read about passengers who endured and persevered through contagious diseases and extreme hardships. These settlers arrived at what is now the United States of America and were taught how to cultivate corn, catch fish and survive daily life by the native Indians. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims
and Indians gathered for the first official “Thanksgiving”. Four hundred years later, we will gather for Thanksgiving on November 25. As Americans, we have endured and persevered through contagious diseases and extreme hardships. COVID-19 took away many family members that usually have a place at
our Thanksgiving table and fear even made us stop gathering together. Division on issues including, whether it was self-defense or murder, vaccinations, and gas prices have caused disagreements among family and friends. It is time to come together as a nation and as families to reflect upon our
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many blessings. We have food on our table and a roof over our heads. We are healthy and we have overcome many hardships. Hopefully, we will put our differences aside as a nation and truly be thankful for our abundance of blessings and realize what Thanksgiving means to us.
SYLVANIA PHARMACY Rodney Williams RPH
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