The new countywide radio system faced its first real test on Friday and passed with flying colors, said Floyd County EMA Director Scotty Hancock.
The ability to communicate proved key in organizing for the search and rescue of a 65-year-old woman lost in the dense forest near Huffaker Road and Woods Road.
“It was a wonderful smooth-running operation,” said Rome police Maj. Denise Downer-McKinney. “It’s the first time we had to utilize the
system since it became active. It was comforting to know you could talk to other agencies directly without having to go through 911.”
Before the new system was put in place, Hancock said, searchers from different agencies would have to relay messages through 911 dispatch.
“That’s the first time we’ve been able to go on scene and talk to everybody involved,” Hancock said. “It helped.”
In this case, the Rome Police Department, Floyd County EMA and Floyd County Sheriff’s Posse were all in the field searching for the missing woman.
All of the agencies were called out around 3:30 a.m. Friday, and the woman was found at approximately 10:45 a.m. She was taken to the hospital for treatment for exposure.
The 2009 special purpose, local option sales tax package contained $26.7 million to build the new communications system.
Previously posted
A Mattie's Call has been issued for a disabled 65-year-old woman near Huffaker Road and Garden Lakes area.
The Floyd County Sheriff's Posse is out and searching for the woman this morning in the area, said Sheriff Tim Burkhalter.
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