Several rounds of storms moved over Macon-Bibb County on Tuesday & Wednesday, April 5 & 6, and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to bring together departments & partner agencies to monitor conditions, communicate safety information with the public, and, most importantly, respond to damaged areas.
“Our community is very fortunate for the level of professionalism, expertise, and dedication shown by our emergency response crews. I am in awe and am inspired by these men and women,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “I want to express my appreciation to their families. Husbands, wives, children, and more prepare for these situations well in advance because they know our crews won’t be with them…they’re with us ready to protect the entire community.”
“This is what we prepare for throughout the year, and our crews stayed until past 1am both nights and started before the sun rose both mornings to get the rest of the roads cleared and power restored,” says Public Works Director Tim Wilder. “For us, it’s just a matter of telling us where we’re needed, and we’ll get it handled.”
“The neighborhood and area around Rosa Taylor Elementary was our hardest hit area, and our crews – working hand in hand with Georgia Power and the Bibb County School District – worked quickly to clear a road so students and staff could go home,” says EMA Director Spencer Hawkins. “Our emergency response team includes some of the most dedicated and selfless people I have ever met.”
Hundreds of people from the Solid Waste, Parks & Beautification Department, Facilities Management, Sheriff’s Office, and Fire Department worked to cut up downed trees, open areas for Georgia Power to get to their poles and restore power, direct traffic, assist with school dismissal, extinguishing fires started by lightning strikes, first aid at vehicular accidents, and more. The Code Enforcement Department sent their inspectors into the field to be the eyes and ears of the coordinated response effort, checking damage, determining needs, and reporting back to the EOC.
“We truly appreciate the dedication of our firefighters lending a hand wherever it was needed,” says Fire Chief Shane Edwards, pointing out they were helping direct traffic and clear the roads. They also knocked on people’s doors in the hardest hit area to personally check on residents and try to get them what they needed. “This was truly a team effort our community should be proud of, and we will continue to assist where needed until everything is cleaned up.”
“We’re proud of our guys for their rapid response to the storms and for being the eyes and ears of our operations,” says Rodney Miller, Code Enforcement Department Assistant Director. “Their work let our other departments focus on getting the debris cut up and roads cleared.”
Mayor Lester Miller declared a local State of Emergency for the County, which opened the door for the EMA to request resources and personnel support from the State of Georgia. Beginning Thursday, a chainsaw crew from the Georgia Forestry Commission began helping Public Works and Georgia Power crews. The Georgia DOT will help with debris collection beginning Tuesday, April 12.