Gwinnett Emergency Response Times Lag
If you need a fire or rescue crew in Gwinnett County, you might wait longer than you used to.
Last year, Gwinnett fire crews reached emergency calls within six-and-a-half minutes after dispatch more than 84% of the time: a solid grade of B. This year, that figure is down to 71%: a C-minus.
Fire Chief Bill Myers says that’s because call volume is up and so is the time it takes to complete calls. “We’re transporting 7% more patients this year through the first six months than we did last year through the entire year,” said Myers. “And that growth usually is 5% annually, so we’re taking a lot more people to the hospital.”
To shorten response times, Chief Myers is asking the county commission for a new fire station near Georgia Gwinnett College.
According to Myers, “We’re never going to be able to stop the growth of call volume completely, so we do need to add capacity to keep up with that growth.”
Myers says the county already has the land and the construction money. But staffing the station would add nearly $3 million a year to the county budget.
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