Milton’s Fire Chief on Monday night highlighted several of his department’s impressive achievements last year, including a significant 1-minute reduction in average response time and astounding 153% increase in cardiac survivability rates.

Chief Benmoussa did so in a presentation to Milton’s City Council on the Fire-Rescue Department’s 2024 Annual Report, which is an overview of accomplishments, priorities, and data relevant to the department, City government, and greater community. This document can be viewed online at https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showdocument?id=8459.

One of a select number of Internationally Accredited agencies, Milton Fire-Rescue consists of dozens of hard-working, well-trained, and caring men and women who are equipped to fight fires as well as provide emergency medical care. Every Milton firefighter is an EMT, paramedic, and, in one instance, a registered nurse.

About 50% of calls that Milton fire apparatus responded to were emergency medical service calls, which is markedly below the national average. Benmoussa credited Milton residents for knowing when and when not to call 911 for this gap. He also attributed the 3.9% year-over-year decrease in overall calls at least in part to the department’s community paramedicine program.

Leaders of that program, known as Fire CARES (www.miltonga.gov/FireCares), taught life-saving CPR, “Stop the Bleed,” fall prevention, and other such classes to well over 200 residents. They also responded directly to certain medical calls in a remarkable average time of 2 minutes, 35 seconds. According to Benmoussa, this approach led to an 85% drop in less urgent calls and, in the process, freed up resources and firefighters to address other issues.

The Chief also mentioned a targeted public education effort that contributed to a 50% decrease in home cooking fires. The Department also offers numerous public-focused safety and prevention programs such as home fire safety checks, barn safety evaluations, car seat safety checks, and fire extinguisher training.

In his presentation, Benmoussa touched on Milton’s first-in-the-country ordinance requiring suppression blankets at Electronic Vehicle charging stations and the implementation of an Automatic Vehicle Locator system to send the closest qualified Fire apparatus to a scene.

The Department employs other tools, too, to be more efficient and effective, like delivering efficient CPR using AutoPulse. Benmoussa pointed to that and other factors – one of them being bystanders (so non-emergency personnel) who step up to perform CPR and defibrillation as soon as possible – for the Department’s 33% cardiac survival rate in 2024, compared to 13% the previous year.

The Council did not cast votes related to Benmoussa’s remarks. They did, however, offer a resounding “thank you” for his and his department’s service to our community.

NOISY FIREWORKS ITEM CAN BE VOTED ON AT NEXT MEETING

Earlier in Monday’s City Council meeting, members unanimously approved a Consent Agenda that included agreements with: 

• Prime Contractors to take imminent steps to prevent water intrusion and deterioration from the elements at the 1830s-constructed McConnell-Chadwick House along Arnold Mill Road
• Longtime City partners Hopewell Youth Association and Halftime Sports to continue providing youth baseball and basketball programming, respectively, through Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department
• Five Star Painting to wash, repair, and paint the outside of the historic Thomas S. Byrd Sr. House – home to the Milton Senior Center – as well as a four-board fence running parallel to nearby Hopewell Road
• Bounce House Atlanta to provide a carnival games trailer, pirate ship ride, inflatable corn maze, bounces houses and slides in a designated “Kids Zone” during Crabapple Fest, which will take place on Saturday, October 4 (www.miltonga.gov/CrabappleFest)

Then, after Chief Benmoussa spoke, the agenda featured a pair of First Presentation items. These are special types of items, such as those for ordinance changes, that cannot be conclusively voted upon until a future Council meeting.

One is a potential ordinance change to the “noise control” part of the Unified Development Code “to restrict the use of fireworks near equine facilities.” It comes on the heels of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signing legislation, co-sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones of Milton (with support by the City and members of the Milton equestrian community) to let local governments place restrictions on loud fireworks to help protect horses.

Mayor Pro Tem Jan Jacobus (in that role Monday due to the absence of Mayor Peyton Jamison) explained this measure was on Monday’s agenda “to ensure timely implementation ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.”  It can be discussed and voted on at the Council’s next Regular Meeting on June 16.

VOTES NOW ALLOWED DURING PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS

Deputy City Manager Bernadette Harvill gave a detailed presentation, like she does about this time every year, on proposed amendments in the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The budget is a dynamic rather than static plan that requires amending from time to time. (To see the FY2025 “Budget Book,” click HERE: https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7894/.)

Harvill went through revenues, which generally have come in slightly higher than projected, as well as a few cases in which expenditures have been greater than originally anticipated. (Overall, City expenditures are not higher than what was budgeted.) She went through each City fund, from the general to the greenspace bond to capital projects funds and more.

The Council can vote to approve these budget amendments at its next meeting.

Zoning Manager Robyn MacDonald followed by presenting on two proposed text amendments to City Code, both of which the Planning Commission had recommended for approval. That’s just what the Council did on Monday night – and in similarly unanimously votes.

The first required those seeking to have an Assembly Hall/Event Facility to get a Use Permit for all traditional zoning districts. Prior to this vote, those in two zoning types could operate such a facility “by right.”

The other was a housekeeping matter to clean-up references to stormwater detention in six parts of the Unified Development Code

The Council also approved an item allowing for votes to be taken during the Public Hearing portion of its agenda, rather than having such votes be pushed back to later in the meeting. Jeff Strickland, acting as City Attorney, explained the purpose of this change is “to create … efficiencies.”

Lastly, Rob Dell-Ross from Milton’s Public Works Department presented on – and the Council approved – a possible condemnation of property needed for a transportation improvement project at Webb and Cogburn roads (involving a road widening and addition of a left turn lane). The land in question is unoccupied, in Alpharetta, and across the street from a new dentist office.

As Dell-Ross pointed, “This action does not mean the end of the negotiations [with the property’s owner]…. We are hopeful to avoid filing this to the court.”

The Council is next set to convene for a Regular Meeting on June 16.