As the county has grown, so have the number of 911 calls routed through Troup County E911, according to information released during the Troup County Board of Commissioners work session on Thursday. 

In 2018, Troup County E911 answered a total of 126,264 calls. Of that number, 53,429 calls were for the LaGrange Police Department; 24,031 calls were for the Troup County Sheriff’s Office; 13,592 calls were for AMR; 4,833 calls were for LaGrange Fire; 3,135 calls were for the Troup County Fire Department; 449 calls were for the Troup County Marshall’s Office; and 26,795 calls fell into other categories, like calls that were transferred to another agency. According to Troup County E911 Director Jason Lawson, the call volume has increased over time.

“In 2018, at E911 the call volume was up over 2017,” Lawson said. “When I say ‘total call volume,’ this is calls that come from the field that have called into 911 from these agencies, or calls where we actually dispatched somebody out.”

However, Lawson said that the actual number of calls is higher, since operators often answer non-emergency calls that come into 911.

“For every two times that phone rings [it may count one toward the total]. It may be us giving directions to somebody, so our true [total], if you take it all into account is right at a quarter of a million,” Lawson said.

According to County Manager Eric Mosley, even calls from law enforcement checking tag numbers on vehicles can throw off the count, since they do not count as an emergency function.

“Traffic stops are our number one call on call time, followed by domestic disputes, accidents and difficulty breathing calls,” Lawson said. “Most fire departments, 80 percent of their calls are medical.”

Lawson said that Troup County does answer a slightly above average number of emergency calls compared to similar sized counties. He attributed the difference to the county’s location in relation to Interstates 85 and 185.

Other items discussed during the meeting included:

4The Troup County Board of Commissioners discussed a text amendment to the airport zoning ordinance. According to Division Director Dexter Wells, the amendment primarily serves to take into account changes to airplane flight paths with the runway extension project.

4Mental Health Court Coordinator Tiffany Hutchinson presented information on an application for a grant for law enforcement officers in the amount of $28,520. This could be used for deputies who work in the Troup County Court House and are required to be on staff for meetings of the mental health court and community service supervisors who supervise trash pickup. She said the grant could also be used for equipment like safety vests and flashlights for officers who take part in home checks for mental health court. The grant did not require match funding.

4Purchasing Director Diana Evans requested that the commission lift the hiring freeze to hire a part time employee for the stockroom to replace an employee who is retiring. Mosley said that the position may become a full-time position during the county’s next budget cycle.

4Evans also requested that the commission declare a roll-off truck that is being replaced and an outdated E911 phone system that has already been replaced as surplus so that they can be listed on Govdeals.com. 

The Troup County Board of Commissioners will meet again on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Avenue.