Milton and Mane

More Than Fires: Community, Service, & Safety

• Steve Krokoff and Christy Weeks

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Milton Fire Rescue is more than just a response team—it’s redefining community protection under Chief Gabe Benmoussa. With 25 years of experience, he has transformed the department into one of only 310 internationally accredited fire agencies, pioneering solutions tailored to Milton’s unique needs.

From the Technical Large Animal Rescue team to fire blankets at EV charging stations, Milton Fire Rescue stays ahead of emerging challenges. Its Community Paramedic Program proactively cares for vulnerable residents, while its advanced life support capabilities contribute to a cardiac arrest save rate above the national average.

Discover how this innovative department is setting new standards for safety—visit Milton Fire Rescue online or follow them on social media.

Learn more about Milton Fire Rescue: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/fire

Community Connect:
https://www.communityconnect.io/info/ga-milton

PulsePoint
https://www.miltonga.gov/government/fire/pulsepoint

Fire CARES
https://www.miltonga.gov/government/fire/milton-fire-cares

With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.

Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov

Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for the city of Milton. We want to bring you closer to the heart of our community through stories that inform, inspire and connect. Each episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people, projects and priorities shaping Milton, covering everything from local government and future development to arts, culture, sustainability and public safety. Whether you're a resident, a local business owner or just curious about our city, this is your front row seat to what makes Milton special. Welcome to another episode of Milton in Maine. I'm your host, christy Weeks, and today we're jumping back into a topic that touches all our lives in one way or another public safety, but this time it's fire rescue edition. Joining me is someone who's at the forefront of this aspect of the city Milton Fire Chief, gabe Ben Moussa. Chief Ben Moussa, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, it's a pleasure being here.

Speaker 1:

So let's start with getting to know you a little better. Give us a little bit about yourself. What drew you to Milton and what makes the city so special for you.

Speaker 2:

Well, I started my career about 25 years ago. I started actually here in Georgia as a firefighter in DeKalb, and then I ended up going out to the West Coast or to Arizona. I spent most of my career there and then the opportunity to work in the northwest, so I ended up in salem, oregon. I was there as a deputy chief of fire, ems, and from there we wanted to come back to the east coast in a sense, and we like to travel as a family and, uh, it's a lot easier, right, you imagine?

Speaker 2:

right all the the way from Oregon to the East coast and so on. So so this the opportunity presented itself, and I you know I've had other opportunities, but I I did a little bit of research. I did not want to go to a bigger organization, but I wanted a department that, in a city that had a small kind of small town feel.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So that was kind of what drew me to Milton. Obviously the characteristics of Milton, the government in Milton, the financial stability that Milton has, that's important because. But also one of the city that supported its fire department, right, and not only that, our city government supports the fire department, but also the community supports the fire department. That is a thing.

Speaker 1:

I had a great conversation with Mark and Derek and they talked about how amazing the community is to the fire department, but also the community supports the fire department. That is a thing. I had a great conversation with Mark and Derek and they talked about how amazing the community is to the fire department. Everybody loves a fireman. Yeah, sorry, it's just the way it is. You guys get all the accolades, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's America's most respected and trusted profession, year over year. So the firefighters are really at the forefront of anything goes. You know the community has, that's it, we're it when they call, so whatever it is, we'll solve it On their worst day, in their worst moments. Absolutely so. Anything we figure it out. In a sense we're very adaptive and very innovative, I think, in handling emergencies and non-emergencies.

Speaker 1:

And we're going to get into that a little bit later, because I know you've got a lot to share but I kind of want to ask because it is public service, it is public safety what made you choose firefighting?

Speaker 2:

I don't know, it was really by chance. I was invited to do a ride-along in my early 20s and I was hooked.

Speaker 1:

That was it, that was it.

Speaker 2:

I was like, yeah, this is what I want to do. It's a, it was meaningful and I saw the impact that the fire service has in people's lives, right, but also it's also a a way to give back in the sense, and to me it's also we learn as well from those experiences. I think it makes us better people.

Speaker 1:

Compassion really drives that compassion component of somebody.

Speaker 2:

Exactly so. There's that empathy, there's that compassion, but it's also that carrying on those fire service traditions of service, of dedication, commitments, selflessness and things like that selflessness and things like that.

Speaker 1:

Well, all huge things, and that's been pretty consistent with a fire department since the dawn of time.

Speaker 2:

Yes, absolutely All right.

Speaker 1:

Wow, Not something that I ever thought about. In all these other episodes I've always had something to relate to Yep. Wanted to do that when I was a kid Wanted to do that. I can't say that I ever wanted to run into a burning building. Fire terrifies me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, fortunately we live in times where there is not that many fires. They do happen, but not at the rate that it used to be. That's because of all the technology advancements, the building advancements, and newer communities might not necessarily have as many fires, but I don't know if that that is true without looking at the statistics you know so, but I think the older, the the cities are, with older construction and all those things, but uh, it's just.

Speaker 2:

I mean, fire can happen, right, can happen anywhere, anytime, but it's just not, as we don't have as many fires as we used to. So that's why the sort of like the, the mission of the, of providing service, of the fire service, has evolved over time to other things. Yeah, so we in milton is unique because we have about 45 percent medical calls, ems calls that include your arrest, your don't feel well, you know headaches, chest pain, strokes, you know all of those are medical calls injuries, fall injuries, things like that. And then the rest of them are all the other calls, that's your fires, that's your car accidents, special rescue stuff, so, but typically the majority of fire departments around the country run about 80 to 85%, sometimes even 90%, medical costs.

Speaker 1:

Wow, I did not realize that that percentage was that high. Yes, so kind of shifting a little bit from your personal journey into this world. Let's take a look at the organization that you actually lead. The Milton Fire Department is, and always has been, a real cornerstone in Milton, and I think that was from the get-go, as everything shifted from Fulton County into our own city. Give us a brief history on how it all began and how the department itself has evolved over the years.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so after, obviously, the city incorporated which I wasn't here at the time I'm the only second fire chief in the city's 18 year history. There's always, I think, beginnings, and I wasn't part of that. The legacy that they built was solid. They built it on the foundation of community first, and I'll tell you that the reputation that the Milton firefighters enjoy here is probably one of the best. But that was built not by, I think, who was the chief or who was the deputy. That was built by the firefighters that go out there every day and answer the call and take care of people.

Speaker 2:

That's who built that reputation for the Milton fire rescue.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely so we build that reputation for the Milton Fire Rescue. They did a good job. Yes, absolutely Stands with you guys still.

Speaker 2:

So we protect that reputation, we carry on that legacy to newer firefighters to understand that that's an important piece, earning the respect of the community While we're giving respect because it's the fire department, but I still believe that we have to earn that respect, and the way we earn that is being good at our job, being masters at our skills and our craft and making sure that we provide the top of everything, the top medical care, the top fire suppression, everything that we do. But also to be a little bit more innovative and think outside the box.

Speaker 1:

Which is imperative in a lot of situations, because I'd imagine at some point you guys do come across situations that aren't your standard issue.

Speaker 2:

Correct. So many people might not know but the fire department is also the emergency management sort of like the emergency management function for disaster preparedness and weather events. We take the lead on that. Our emergency manager is from the fire department. We're fortunate here in Milton we work collaboratively with other departments to manage those events, those weather events, those disasters and disaster preparedness, so that emergency management, while there is an emergency manager, there are also police officers, there are public works, there's communications, there's city admin. Everybody pitches in and everybody's trained in emergency management. That are that participate in that activity or that function.

Speaker 1:

It's quite a group and everybody is really good at what they do. And just after this last conversation, little storm that we had and I say little lightly, I mean I realized it was impactful for a lot of people the level of preparedness that we had to serve the community and the feedback that I have seen via our social media because the communications team does do a great job Greg does a great job pushing out regular updates and addressing what's going on. People knew not to go on the roads, they knew where the road closures were, they knew where the trees were down and that's important. I mean, most people need to know how's my drive to work today. Am I even going to work today?

Speaker 2:

Yes, it all comes to preparedness and city of Milton has taken that approach. Yeah, we're going to prepare, we're going to prepare, we're going to prepare. So we can never over-prepare, because when that happens, it happens. I mean, uh, talk about hurricane Milton. It was coming and all of a sudden it was not coming Right, so we were fortunate, right, but we were prepared. So had Milton come through here, we would have been prepared either way. So preparedness is important.

Speaker 1:

And I was a rookie during that.

Speaker 2:

There you go.

Speaker 1:

Back to where we were. So what are some of the biggest challenges that the department has faced in the early days? You know, as I realize you weren't here 16, 18 years ago, but I'm sure you have a really good handle on what their biggest obstacles were when they first started.

Speaker 2:

I think and again I might be speaking out of terms, but I would say that any organization that starts, there's always growing pains. There's also finding an identity right, developing a culture. So that's kind of where I would say, maybe, some of the challenges.

Speaker 2:

I think, like Milton was ready for that and and they provided everything right uh, they needed so, other than that, I really don't know, but they but I think. I think that would be probably when you're an organization you're first starting. It's that. Those are some of the things, right you know, and it's because you also have to. People were used to a certain level of service right, right, and then the service is adjusted.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so now, when you?

Speaker 2:

come in. You don't want to provide the same right service or less, you want to provide better. So I think that's one of the things that Milton Fire Rescue did was develop and I call it a grassroots fire department, because truly we are a grassroots fire department, because under my leadership, I don't want us to be just like any other fire departments. I want us to be the Milton fire rescue department that is a grassroots. It's like that serves the needs of the specific needs of the community, that we are in tune with the community and its risks.

Speaker 1:

And the community does change and adjust and grow over the years.

Speaker 1:

So it's up to you guys to figure out how to properly address those changes. Yes, so you brought up culture and I think it's important to talk about it because every organization, public safety or not, has a culture that is imperative to the success of their mission Just my personal opinion is imperative to the success of their mission. Just my personal opinion Fire has a culture, but I don't think people understand y'all role as a family. You've got shifts that are together and pretty much live together for those 24 hours on, and then they have their time off and then they're back on and they're with the same people and that creates that family. So within that family, how do you keep culture even keeled?

Speaker 2:

Well, you have to. I mean, obviously you have to have expectations right, Cause it depends on the type of culture you want, but you have to have expectations. You have to have a clearly defined mission, vision, and we have the sort of like the Milton way, the cultural belief. So, and outside of those, as like any family there's, there's good and bad, so but I think overall we're fortunate. We have a great group of people that are dedicated.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I have met quite a few of them. I know there's a lot out there that I haven't, but such a great group. They are open and they were very welcoming. I got my tour of all the firehouses. Everybody was amazing. So, as you're talking about culture and how Milton Fire Department evolved, you know, so to speak, it's important to know and to talk about the importance the fire department plays in the community.

Speaker 2:

And yes, we know you guys react to emergencies, emergencies, but it's so much more than that yeah, it is obviously that, that community engagement, you know the, the public education events that we do, the campaigns, the, the midland fire cares program, the community paramedic program great program. Just learned all about it and I think you have an episode on that, so I do I do.

Speaker 1:

It's a good one yeah, it's a one.

Speaker 2:

So that's part of like I was talking about, that grassroots, you know, so that you can take a community paramedic program and try to copy it from somewhere else, and that's just kind of like. That's all it is.

Speaker 1:

And that was something that evolved after your arrival. Correct this paramedicine.

Speaker 2:

That was my vision to have that program, the CARES program. But I wanted it to be more than just sort of like fill the gap, but more of like a community sort of centric program where we are engaging with our at-risk community. We're working with our hospitals, doing follow-ups, like, for example, one thing we do ahead of like storms and snowstorms and stuff our community paramedics will go out there and engage with the at-risk population and they will make sure that their heat is on, they have what they need, supplies medicine, all the things.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and then we check on them throughout. We make phone calls, so it's a great program. We do wellness education. We do also a safe sitter program. Brandy is a great instructor, she does a great job and that's just teaching young people how to safely babysit and teaching them the CPR and choking and it's a great program. That's under the community paramedicine program, so that's just one of those programs. We have a barn safety because this is an equestrian community.

Speaker 1:

Tell me about this one. I don't know about this one.

Speaker 2:

You have to get Alex on your episode. Oh, alex, you're next. But what they did is they offered up a barn inspection safety to make sure that those animals are safe. So they developed a checklist program. You can do a self-inspection. They can come and help identify if there's any hazards or risks. So that's to keep those animals safe. So that's the barn safety. We were the first as a fire department, first in the nation, to actually have an ordinance to mandate fire blankets at electrical vehicle charging stations.

Speaker 2:

Because, electrical vehicle lithium battery fires. You can't put it out with water. It takes a long time. So one of the things we looked at as new technology, and now we've changed our ordinance to where it's required to have a fire blanket.

Speaker 1:

Everybody's supposed to have a blanket, just like an extinguisher at a gas station.

Speaker 2:

It's kind of similar. Our engines carry fire blankets as well in case there's an electric vehicle fire somewhere. We also did a program with if you have a. This is to enhance the safety of the firefighters but also to assist us in safely responding. But also to assist us in safely responding, we give out these stickers free of charge at our fire admin and therefore, if you have an electrical vehicle that's charging in the garage, you can put the sticker on the garage frame and when we show up, if there's a fire, we know there's an electrical vehicle there and all it does. It enhances the safety of the firefighters but also help us better serve for the community and that there is that hazard.

Speaker 2:

There's many videos on the internet for vehicle fires inside garages. You can see the garage door. It was one in Colorado where the garage door blew up and just almost took out the fire fire. You can see the video where it just hit its helmet, luckily, but that was an actual entire garage door. So those are some of the innovative programs that we put in place.

Speaker 1:

Didn't see that coming when he got up that morning Exactly.

Speaker 2:

So that was not served as a linchpin for other cities around the country that they've reached out to us about those things, those programs, which seems odd because I don't know that, I didn't realize and this is just on me that that was such a heavy piece of North Georgia electric vehicles.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I see them, I do see them, they're there and I just didn't realize that it was something that was so top of mind over places like California and the West coast, where they love those electric vehicles. So that's that's important information. Yes, absolutely, learn something new today. So, based on some of these initiatives you talked about in and I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit what's your favorite, what's your favorite initiative that you've got going, that you really had a lot of passion behind.

Speaker 2:

The Community Paramedic Program. Yeah so.

Speaker 1:

I do have a question about that. Was there one in your previous?

Speaker 2:

No, there wasn't, I did. However, I was in in Salem, oregon, during the COVID pandemic and the system was getting taxed. So what I did is I actually worked with volunteer nurses and doctors and we created this program that was called alluvium Uh, what it was. It was like a almost like a doctor in the box and it was all volunteer. So what they did is they went and visited and did follow-ups with those COVID patients, so that was kind of it was COVID centric, and so we took the care to them to try to keep the firefighters in service for other things, because the call volume went up for COVID.

Speaker 2:

So if it wasn't, so if it wasn't a life threatening or you know so they will go in there and they will follow up. So that was kind of like the closest.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and it also, I would imagine, kind of took some of the stress off of people running to the ER.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and I was trying to keep them there, alleviate the ER saturation.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, that's amazing. Well, we're glad it's here. I just learned a lot about it and I know there's more down the road that we've got coming out and that you guys have planned, so you should be really proud of that, thank you. So community engagement is key and firefighting sits upon the idea that you have to stay ahead of the curve, right, and I think you kind of touched on that earlier when you talked about the innovations and the technology that we do have, but let's talk about how that's actually shaping the field well, I give you a simple example.

Speaker 2:

We, our system is uh, we have what's called an automatic vehicle locator, so our closest unit response so by gps, from where the call originated from, so where prior to that it was sort of by territory, but now it's by that system which recognizes that this unit is closer to that call. So, therefore, it goes.

Speaker 2:

So that's one of the technological advances that we've incorporated. But we use technology significantly like for our day-to-day operations. We use for our record management system, for our pre-plans hazardous pre-plans. We can do that from our phone. It can be accessed. We have a great program. It's called First Do and that program sort of like everything is our fingertips right and part of that program is a thing called Community Connect and that is like a sort of community outsourced information. Any community member can enter information about their home and I think this is so important yeah.

Speaker 2:

I mean you could put I have two dogs. So that's important information, if it's important to the community to put in. That's important for us to know, because if we have a fire, we know that we're going to be looking for two dogs, for example. Or if you have an at-risk family member, an elderly that may be bedridden and they stay at a certain bedroom and you want to share that information we know. But it could be also as simple as sharing the gate code for your gate. Oh, the ever important gate code, exactly so that that helps. Because, first of all, we don't have to if, if you're traveling you're not home and we get an alarm, we don't have to to to break down the, you know, destroy the gate. We can put in the code and we can off, we go.

Speaker 2:

It could be like my neighbors have a key, for example, so that Community Connect is very secure, the data. We don't share it. It comes up when there is a call at that particular address. That information shows up. There is homes in Milton that have a basement and a sub-basement. There's homes that have indoor pools. That's good for us to know because in an emergency there's a fire we can't see. Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Piece of information and I will have all that information in the show notes so it'll be easy access and I know we have plans to push that back out because it's been uh, you guys launched it 2021 2022 2022, a few years ago. So it's time to revisit and bring some more light to it, because I think that that's important. I have a cat. I would not want somebody to forget my cat in the house.

Speaker 1:

Exactly, exactly. So just saying so, as we're talking about the technology advancement, can you talk a little bit how it's protecting not only the community? We get that. How is it protecting your firefighters?

Speaker 2:

Well, it's keeping them safe, you know, knowing that what's in a building, or how it's built or whatnot. That helps us. Part of our pre-plan. It enhances their safety.

Speaker 1:

Right and you guys over the years have figured out I mean, back in the day and this stems from my one tour the turnouts is that what y'all call them Were stored in a place that was accessible and in the general, and now you all have a very specific room for that stuff to go into, so it's separate from other stuff because of the toxins.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we follow the standard of the International Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Firefighters, which called in the National Fire Protection Association the standard for health and wellness and cancer prevention. One thing I think I should mention that firefighters are 9% more susceptible to getting cancer and 14% more to die from cancer than the regular average American. So cancer wrecks havoc on firefighters in this country. So we try to obviously to. Our stations are designed right now the 42 and then 45, soon to be 44 as well. We have designed it to where it's sold out, just like when we're operating out. There there's the cold zone, the warm zone, the hot zone, so in a sense. So the hot zone is like the dirty zone, which is like what the turnouts are. They're in the room.

Speaker 2:

It's got its own ventilation system. We have extractors that we wash our gear so that it extracts all of those things carcinogens and all this stuff Because when we go to these homes plastic is burning all kinds of materials, you know. So that's all toxic, it's full of cyanide, it's all kinds of stuff there. So we try to focus on the health and safety, but we also do as well for firefighters, because I feel like that's the I think that's the biggest investment the community makes is the firefighter. You can replace a truck, but you can't replace a firefighter.

Speaker 2:

So we're fortunate that the city provides us funding to have an annual exam, medical exam that again follows the national standards, and the goal of that is to catch things early, detect things early, so they can take care of it, so that they can have a healthy career. My thing is, it's not everyone goes home every day of the shift, but they go home at the end of their career as well. So that's very important to me and we're fortunate again that citizens of Milton and the city have funded two sets of gear for each firefighter, because when you go to a fire you can't put that gear back on because you're putting on the bad stuff. So while that gear is being cleaned and washed, they have a second set of gear that they can be ready to go for the next call. So we're fortunate to have. So those are all small things Although, yeah, they can be costly sometimes, but they have an impact long-term impact on the life of firefighters, on their health and wellness.

Speaker 1:

And I don't know that everybody really thinks about that. Unless you are in public safety or you're married to one, you don't really process everything that y'all experience, and I can appreciate that. It was interesting to learn that those efforts are being made to protect our firefighters which, as you mentioned, are our most important asset? Yes, so, as we go on, milton has a unique character and I would imagine that the fire department reflects that. What sets Milton apart from the other departments you've worked for or have observed or have information about?

Speaker 2:

Like I said, milton is very community-centric. Now, I'm not saying that the other departments are not they are but I think our it's Milton is very community centric. Now, I'm not saying that the other departments are not they are but I think our fire department is unique to our community, like I said, and you guys were able to develop it around that relationship and those specific needs.

Speaker 2:

But also I think it's our customer service is above anybody else. Our firefighters care and that will go above and beyond for our customers. We've had firefighters who drove a vehicle for a nice lady that got transported to the hospital, or taking care of an animal and checked until somebody came. There's all kinds of stories out there, but I think it's the level of skill, medical skill and the care level of skill, medical skill and the care we have. I think I don't know if Mark mentioned this in his CARES program, but we're above the national average when it comes to cardiac arrest saves. We're above the national average. So I think we're at 30% right now.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing.

Speaker 2:

So that's thanks to the quick response, to the care, all the things that we do, that we work with our medical director, and this is not things that I bring, these things that my firefighters bring to the table. They're talented, they're great at what they do but, most important, they care.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And that's what makes this job different than any other job.

Speaker 1:

I would agree with that. I would agree with that.

Speaker 2:

They're not here for the money, they're not going to get rich being a firefighter.

Speaker 1:

They do it because they care because there's that calling of public service. Yeah, I do know we had talked a little bit about innovations, technology and stuff and I don't know how technology related this is. But specific to Milton, y'all have a rescue for large animal.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we have a specialty team. It's the technical large animal rescue. So because we have horses, this tickles me because I have horses. So that's one of those needs when we talk about, and I think Milton was one of the first teams ever in Southeast to be formed with that kind of focus on large animals and they've they've been really good at that, and that program got modeled by others, including our neighbors to the north. Cherokee County has a similar program, but Milton was the first.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because when something happens, who do you call? I mean, it's tricky.

Speaker 2:

Ghostbusters, ghostbusters, yeah.

Speaker 1:

No, I've had horses, call it. I haven't had anybody get stuck. I haven't had anybody in a ditch, but I've had them colic to where I've had to get them up Back in the day. I was not very big and I'm wrestling a 1,200-pound animal trying to convince him he needs to be on his feet.

Speaker 2:

And all firefighters are trained by a vet that started this program and they're certified and they know how to work around horses and animals and they know what to do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's amazing. I love that about here. I love that you look at everything that's involved. It's not just the people, it's the entire community as a whole, because animals are a huge part of people's lives.

Speaker 2:

Well, we protect life and the environment as well. Ah, there we go.

Speaker 1:

There we go. If you could share and this will be the last question I've got you on the hook for today because you know I'm going to make you come back later on down the line but if you could share one thing with the people who are listening about the department, that, or the work that y'all do, that most people don't know, understand but could maybe really benefit from or might be curious about just and it doesn't have to be specific to technology Just one thing you want people to know about y'all.

Speaker 2:

I think people think fire is just fire, but we are actually like uh, because we do emergency medical medicine, in the sense we practice medicine. I don't think people don't think of EMS as medicine.

Speaker 1:

Talk about that because your trucks are equipped with some stuff.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, all our trucks in the city of Middleton are advanced life support. So a lot of people sometimes may ask well, why do I have a fire truck come into my stroke? Well, it's because we have paramedics that can administer drugs. We're actually the first in North Fulton to be able to administer certain drugs to have an effect on some of the emergencies for cardiac or chest pains and things like that. So we're at the forefront of medicine. So we do practice medicine in a sense. I mean by the time we get to the hospital and ER, we've already made interventions and, like I said, we're fortunate that the city lets us and gives us the tools to invest in, for example, intubation. We have video laryngoscopes so that we can have a success rate when somebody is not breathing on their own and we have to put a tube down their throat.

Speaker 2:

We can actually visualize the throat, the trachea, and we can put the tube right in it, versus, like a blind, not having the video. So those are significantly expensive pieces of equipment, but they are important. So, when it comes to people's lives and safety, that's what I love about Milton. We're going to invest in those things. So give us the tools so we can do our job. And that's exactly what happens and that's why I love this community.

Speaker 2:

We invested in autopulses, which is the mechanical CPR devices. As people know, when a human does CPR, you get tired, you're not as effective. So by having these autopulses, which we have in every single unit in Milton, that means we can put a patient on it and they are getting a quality CPR being delivered nonstop Without taxing. Without taxing. But not only that, but think about trying to do cpl while you're trying to move down the stairwell. You're not going to be effective because you're watching your feet you're.

Speaker 2:

So when you put them on that machine there, it's doing what it needs to do all the way to the hospital or all the way till we get a pulse back that ties into that toolbox that we have for cardiac survivability toolbox. That's just one piece of that. So I want people to know that we do practice medicine and the reason why we show up it's because we're the closest. We can be there within five minutes or less and we can start treating you. We can start delivering the treatment that the patient needs. So when you see your firefighters, they're not just firefighters, they have additional skills. I have RNs on staff as well registered nurses on staff.

Speaker 2:

Derek is one of them. Who's the community paramedic on that. So we have a lot of talent and I didn't mention this, but Milton is one of only 310 fire departments around the world that's internationally accredited. I did not know that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I knew you were accredited, don't get me wrong, I knew that.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so we're one out of 310. We were the first in North Fulton to be accredited.

Speaker 1:

And talk about what that is. I know it's a very in-depth process.

Speaker 2:

It's a three-year process before you're granted accreditation and you have to make sure that everything you do your policies, your procedures, your service delivery, your hazard analysis, your community risk analysis everything has to be done and it has to be done to the point where it gets evaluated that it meets the standards, but also the most important piece of that that it also data creation cements the fact that your department matches the needs of your community, aligns with the needs of the community. So that was for us, was an affirmation that we are aligned with the needs of this community, with the risks that are here, the level of service we're sort of like I don't want to use the word judge, but evaluated by our peers Correct and, like I said, there's a process and there's a commission that we go and that commission is Commission for Fire Accreditation International and it's part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence. So I I mean the name says it all excellence.

Speaker 2:

It does and that's what we want. We want excellence in service.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

In services.

Speaker 1:

Chief, this was really enlightening. I mean, I've had several conversations with you since I've been here, so I had some insight, but not quite to this level, and I really appreciate you taking the time to be here. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2:

And you will be back and again. A huge shout out to our community and their support. We appreciate it. A huge shout out also to civic members of our community, which is that support the Milton First Responders Foundation. Yes, the Milton First Responders Foundation is an amazing, amazing, amazing group that do so many things for our Fire Fire and Not Police officers. They care deeply about them and they will stop at nothing to make sure that they're supported and they're appreciated.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. Yeah, I've seen a handful of things with them and had the privilege of meeting a couple of them. Well, y'all are loved and, again, I am so grateful for you taking the time to be here. I know you're busy, so I know there's other conversations down the road that we need to have to keep the community up to date and to make sure that they know that y'all are there for them. Yes, absolutely. That's the best part. So, for our listeners, if you'd like to learn more about the Milton Fire Department, check out our website or follow them on social media. All the information that Chief Ben Moussa shared with us today will again be in our show notes, so it'll be easy access for you. And, as always, stay tuned for more episodes of Milton and Maine and until next time, take care and stay safe.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to Milton and Maine. We hope this episode gave you fresh insights into what makes our city so special. Stay connected and don't miss an episode by subscribing to this podcast on your favorite platform and following us on social media for all updates. And, of course, if you want to learn more about the city, visit us online at wwwmiltongagov for resources, news and upcoming events. Until next time, thanks for being part of the conversation and we'll see you on the next Milton and Maine.