WHITE COUNTY, Ga. - A new emergency facility in White County is already protecting lives after crews pulled an injured person off a mountain just hours after the building opened. White County Fire Station 9 went into service on Thursday, June 11, and responded to its first rescue call that same evening.
White County fire protection
What we know:
The White County Board of Commissioners and White County Public Safety celebrated the grand opening of White County Fire Station 9 on Thursday, June 11. Officials held a hose uncoupling ceremony in the Mount Yonah community to mark the activation of the facility, located on Sonnys Circle off Duncan Bridge Road. During the event, dispatchers officially placed the station, Engine 9 and Truck 9 online to serve the growing region.
The facility covers more than 2,300 structures and aims to lower emergency response times. Local Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, fully funded the project. Precision United of Cleveland managed the construction, which required years of planning by county leadership and public safety staff.
Mountain emergency response
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the identity or the current medical condition of the individual who fell on the mountain. The specific cause of the fall and the extent of the person's injuries also remain unreleased by emergency personnel.
Mount Yonah rescue
Timeline:
The station proved its value almost immediately after going live. At approximately 6:38 p.m. Thursday evening, crews received their first emergency dispatch regarding an individual who fell and was initially reported unconscious on Mount Yonah. Engine 9, Engine 3, Med 3 and Battalion 1 all rushed to the scene.
First responders located the patient within 30 minutes in an area between the Ranger Camp and the "Lower LZ". Emergency workers canceled an initial request for a LifeFlight helicopter after the patient regained consciousness. Crews loaded the individual into a stokes basket, moved them to the Ranger Camp and transferred them to a waiting ambulance. White County EMS then transported the patient to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville.
Public safety impact
What they're saying:
"This call is exactly why Station 9 matters," said David Murphy, Director of White County Public Safety. "Within hours of being placed into service, the station responded to a rescue in the Mount Yonah area and provided critical support to an emergency in the community it was built to serve. We are thankful for the work of our firefighters, EMS personnel, 911 communications officers, and all responding units involved."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from White County Public Safety, who explained how we got it through an official announcement detailing the station opening and subsequent rescue operation.