The Atlanta City Council voted to invest millions in the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department to update its fleet of vehicles and purchase needed equipment.
At its Nov. 6 meeting, the council approved up to $19 million as part of a lease agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank to purchase fire trucks and equipment. The agreement includes the purchase of eight fire engines, one ladder truck, one utility truck, two swift water rescue jet boats, breathing devices, and new automated external defibrillators, according to the legislation introduced by Councilmember Dustin Hillis.
The council also approved a resolution requesting Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency, approve nearly $5 million to buy more fire department vehicles.
Fire Chief Rod Smith has told council members the department’s fleet is outdated with sometimes as many as 20 vehicles out of service due to mechanical issues. Supply chain delays mean delays in replacing broken-down trucks.
The lack of working trucks and equipment has forced the shutdown of three fire departments — Station 22 on Hollywood Road, Station 23 on Howell Mill Road and Station 30 on Cleveland Avenue, Smith told the public safety committee last week.
With so many vehicles out of service, response times are also slowed. The fire department has relied on agreements with neighboring cities and counties to assist in fire and rescue calls when needed.
Hillis, chair of the public safety committee, said at last week’s committee meeting that the fire department’s aging fleet has been an issue for over a decade.
The council was to consider legislation approved by the finance committee last week to approve just over $10 million from the city’s reserves to pay for new fire engines, but discussions with council members and Mayor Andre Dickens resulted in the lease agreement with JP Morgan.
Other City Council actions:
• Councilmember Byron Amos introduced legislation that was approved to invest $21 million to purchase and replace Atlanta Police Department vehicles. The funding for the APD vehicles is also coming through a lease agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank. The funding will be used to buy more than 300 new vehicles, including Dodge Durangos and Chevy Tahoes.
Also — Mayor Dickens thanked Amos and Hillis and the council for approving $40 million for the fire and police departments.
“Legislation like this allows us to continue the implementation of our One Safe City plan which is focused on making all of our neighborhoods safe and welcoming for both residents and visitors,” Dickens said in a news release.
“These investments will include new fire engines, trucks and lifesaving apparatus for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department as well as expanding the Atlanta Police Department’s take home vehicle program,” he said. This administration is committed to supporting both APD and AFRD, and we will continue to ensure they have the resources and support they need to keep our entire city safe and secure.”
• A resolution establishing the City of Atlanta Reparations Study Commission to research the extent of the City of Atlanta’s participation in the legal discrimination of African American residents and to provide recommendations for appropriate reparations.
• A resolution urging the Georgia General Assembly to create and implement the senior citizens’ living expense decree or a senior citizen rent increase exemption for Georgia’s senior citizens.
• An ordinance to establish the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services Support (ADOLES) Trust Fund to support signature program initiatives related to the mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute, Summer Youth Employment Program, on-the-job training, ATL Quickpath, and Apprenticeship ATL.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to apply for grant funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All Grant Program as a co-applicant with three Georgia local governments and a non-profit organization for $250 million.
• An ordinance to authorize the mayor’s submission of an application for a $250,000 anti-displacement grant with the Rocket Community Fund to provide property tax assistance for homeowners in Atlanta.
• A resolution requesting the Department of Watershed Management install storm drain grates perpendicular to the direction of traffic to enhance traffic safety.
• A resolution to create the Little Five Points City Business Improvement District. Members of the proposed district consented to its formation through a petition to help improve the Little Five Points community and assist with funding supplemental services.
This story has been updated with more actions taken by the City Council at the Nov. 6 meeting.
