DeKalb Co. to invest $4.89 million in expanding ambulance fleet, longer EMS partnership with AMR
According to county officials, the contract for emergency medical services with American Medical Response was extended through June 30, 2026.
Additionally, the county government agreed to pay a $4.89 million subsidy to expand the number of AMR ambulances in service.
The move includes adding new ambulance units, more personnel and operational support resources.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
Explosion rocks Villa Rica after outbuilding at ammo supply shop catches fire
Boat found circling on Allatoona Lake with no one on board
Water main break shuts down road in Dunwoody, dozens of customers impacted
"As a result of these efforts, the system has seen measurable improvements, including a 2-minute and 48-second reduction in response times for critical calls, 18% more AMR ambulance unit hours on the road, and 58% more DCFR ambulance unit hours on the road since 2024," county officials said in a statement.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue has also partnered with local hospitals to reduce how long it takes for patients to be offloaded from ambulances to emergency rooms.
'We are excited about this high-performing system improvement through initiatives, resource investments, and constant leadership support', DeKalb County Fire Rescue Chief Darnell Fullum said. 'Together, these strategic efforts are building a more responsive, efficient, and patient-centered EMS system for DeKalb County.'
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gizmodo
a day ago
- Gizmodo
Why Pooping on Planes Might Actually Be a Good Thing
Researchers have developed a new critical warning system for the spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) superbugs: poop and pee from airplane bathrooms. Scientists predict that by 2050, AMR superbugs, or pathogens that don't respond to antimicrobial medicines, might take more lives than cancer. As such, it's critical for countries to keep an eye on the global propagation of these dangerous pathogens, which can travel with people, in order to best prepare for future infections. In a study published in May in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, a team of international researchers suggests that aircraft toilet wastewater could warn authorities about the arrival of such superbugs. 'Long-haul flight aircraft wastewater may serve as a representative microbial footprint, often of mixed country origin, offering valuable insight into the movement of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on a global scale,' the team wrote in the study. 'Herein, we present a proof-of-concept for aircraft-based surveillance of AMR by investigating lavatory wastewater samples from 44 repatriation flights to Australia departing from nine countries.' The analysis revealed nine dangerous pathogens, including some superbugs that are resistant to more than one drug. The team investigated the superbugs' genetic signatures and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles, finding a gene that lends resistance to last-resort antibiotics on 17 flights. Interestingly, this dangerous gene was not present in Australia's urban wastewater at the time, indicating its arrival via international travel. All 44 flight samples had five out of the nine superbugs. 'Aircraft wastewater captures microbial signatures from passengers across different continents, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective way to monitor threats like AMR,' Warish Ahmed, a senior author of the study and researcher from CSIRO, said in a University of South Australia statement. Eighteen of the flights came from India, 14 from the United Kingdom, six from Germany, and one each from France, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, and Indonesia. According to Nicholas Ashbolt, a co-author of the study and a microbiologist at the University of South Australia, flights from Asia, especially from India, revealed greater concentrations of antibiotic-resistance genes than those from Europe and the United Kingdom. These distinctions could be due to differences in antibiotic use, water sanitation, population density, and public health policies. 'International travel is one of the major drivers of AMR spread,' said Yawen Liu, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at Xiamen University. 'By monitoring aircraft wastewater, we can potentially detect and track antibiotic resistance genes before they become established in local environments.' Tuberculosis, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, for example, can also spread by air travel. While the researchers collected the wastewater samples from Covid-19 pandemic repatriation flights, potentially swaying passenger demographics, they argue that similar methods can also work for regular international travel. 'With AMR projected to cause more than 39 million deaths globally by 2050, the need for innovative surveillance tools is urgent,' Ashbolt concluded. 'Aircraft wastewater monitoring could complement existing public health systems, providing early warnings of emerging superbug threats.'


Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
How Airplane Toilets Could Help Track 'Silent Pandemic'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Aircraft toilets could become a powerful early warning tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistant super-bugs, a growing health crisis that threatens to kill more people than cancer by 2050. This is the conclusion of an international team of researchers who analyzed lavatory wastewater from 44 international flights arriving in Australia from nine different countries. The findings are both alarming and promising. Using advanced molecular techniques, the researchers detected nine high-priority pathogens and super-bugs, including some that are acquired in hospitals and resistant to multiple drugs. Five of the nine super-bugs were found in all 44 flight samples, and a gene conferring resistance to last-resort antibiotics was detected on 17 flights. This gene was absent in Australia's urban wastewater during the same period, suggesting its was likely introduced via international travel. A stock image shows a plane lavatory sign. A stock image shows a plane lavatory sign. getty images Because it hosts so many pathogens, aircraft wastewater offers scientists a snapshot of emerging health risks before they reach local communities. "Aircraft wastewater captures microbial signatures from passengers across different continents, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective way to monitor threats like AMR," said paper author Warish Ahmed, a principal research scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in a statement. Significant Geographic Variations The wastewater samples also revealed significant geographic variations, according to paper co-author and University of South Australia (UniSA) microbiologist professor Nicholas Ashbolt. "Flights from Asia, particularly India, showed higher concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes, compared to flights from Europe and the UK," Ashbolt said in a statement. Of the 44 international flights sampled, 18 originated from India, 14 from the United Kingdom, six from Germany and the rest from France, UAE, Türkiye, South Africa, Japan and Indonesia. According to study author Yawen Liu, a visiting scientist from Xiamen University in China, these disparities could reflect differences in antibiotic use, water sanitation, population density and public health policies across regions. Do disinfectants affect genetic material? The team also tested whether disinfectants used in aircraft toilets degrade genetic material. They found that nucleic acids remained stable for up to 24 hours, even when exposed to strong disinfectants—confirming the reliability of aircraft wastewater for surveillance purposes. "International travel is one of the major drivers of AMR spread," said Liu. "By monitoring aircraft wastewater, we can potentially detect and track antibiotic resistance genes before they become established in local environments." This study builds on previous CSIRO research carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, which successfully detected the virus in wastewater from long-haul flights of returning Australians. With AMR projected to cause more than 39 million deaths globally by 2050, Ashbolt emphasizes the urgency of developing innovative surveillance tools to contrast it. "Aircraft wastewater monitoring could complement existing public health systems, providing early warnings of emerging super-bug threats", he said. Ahmed added: "This is a proof-of-concept with real-world potential. We now have the tools to turn aircraft toilets into an early-warning disease system to better manage public health." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about super-bugs? Let us know via health@ Reference Liu, Y., Smith, W. J. M., Gebrewold, M., Ashbolt, N. J., Keenum, I., Simpson, S. L., Wang, X., & Ahmed, W. (2025). Aircraft lavatory wastewater surveillance for movement of antimicrobial resistance genes: A proof-of-concept study. Microbiology Spectrum.


Business Upturn
11-08-2025
- Business Upturn
ECHO India Launches Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh
ECHO India, a non-profit trust working for health system strengthening through capacity building, today launched an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India. Business Wire India ECHO India, a non-profit trust working for health system strengthening through capacity building, today launched an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India. The three-year pilot will be implemented in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, engaging 400 healthcare professionals from tertiary care centres to strengthen capacity in rational antibiotic use and infection prevention. The program was inaugurated at the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) today. Antimicrobial resistance is recognised as one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, with the misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerating the emergence of resistant pathogens. The program will use ECHO's proven hub-and-spoke model to mentor healthcare workers, guide clinical practice, and develop a cadre of master trainers capable of leading large-scale stewardship efforts. The event was attended by distinguished health experts, including Maj. Gen. (Dr) Atul Kotwal, Executive Director, National Health Systems Resource Centre; Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri, President, Infection Control Academy of India; Dr. Sangeeta Sharma, President, Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DPSRUD); Dr. Nusrat Shafiq, Professor Clinical Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Dr. Anuj Sharma, Technical Lead, World Health Organization India, along with technical experts and state health teams from Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. Maj. Gen. (Dr) Atul Kotwal, Executive Director, NHSRC , observed, 'Antimicrobial resistance is eroding the very tools that modern medicine depends on, threatening our ability to treat even common infections. We need a response that is both immediate and sustainable. The ECHO Model has proven its ability to build capacity at scale in a cost-effective way. It is the right platform to equip our healthcare professionals with the skills and judgement to use antibiotics responsibly, strengthen clinical governance, and protect public health for future generations.' Dr. Sangeeta Sharma, President, Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs, highlighted the importance of an integrated approach, noting, 'Antimicrobial stewardship cannot function in isolation. It must work hand in hand with infection prevention and control, surveillance, and rational drug use policies. Only when these elements are integrated into routine practice can we create a health system resilient to the growing threat of drug resistance.' Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. (Col) Kumud Rai, Chairperson and Managing Trustee, ECHO India, said, 'If we are to win the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we must act now and act collectively. We are grateful to carry forth this mission with our partners in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, working alongside such proven institutions of excellence in public health. This program is a crucial step towards building stewardship capacity, and our vision is to see similar initiatives reach every part of the country so that no community is left without access to the right knowledge and practice.' The purpose of the event was to bring together national and state health leaders, technical experts, and program partners to align strategies for implementing the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. While discussions covered resistance levels, stewardship frameworks, and curricula for clinical staff, state teams shared challenges and explored mentorship models to develop trainer networks. Together, these efforts reflect a shared mission to embed sustainable stewardship practices that protect the effectiveness of antibiotics and contribute to stronger health outcomes in the years ahead. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. Business Upturn take no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash