Dougherty Commission recognizes Public Works, Emergency Medical Services workers
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
By Alan Mauldin
alan.mauldin
@albanyherald.com
ALBANY — The Dougherty County Commission recognized Monday staff from two departments who help keep traffic flowing and who worked tirelessly through the COVID-19 pandemic transporting sick patients to the hospital.
Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas presented proclamations during a Monday meeting to Public Works Director Larry Cook and to Sam Allen, director of Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services.
The proclamations are in recognition of National Public Works Week and Emergency Medical Services Week.
In addition to road work, Public Works provides environmental control that includes mosquito spraying, and it also has Parks and Gardening and Vehicle Maintenance divisions.
“These are first responders,” Cook said of his employees. “That’s not by my designation, that’s by the designation of the federal government.”
During the presentation, Cohilas said he has, while in office, gained a new understanding of what the department does.
“I know my appreciation of Public Works has gone way up over the last four years as I’ve seen what you do,” he said.
In addition to the proclamation, all EMS employees will receive a medallion, and a dozen area restaurants are treating them to breakfast or lunch to show appreciation, Allen said during a telephone interview following Monday’s meeting.
Last year, the workers received a pin commemorating their work during the pandemic.
During the pandemic, 10 of 72 employees contracted the novel coronavirus, Allen said. And during the summer of 2020, paramedics and emergency medical technicians worked in full body suits to prevent infecting others or taking the disease home to loved ones.
“It was miserable work in the environmental (suits) we had to work in, protecting patients and themselves,” Allen said. “It was a challenging time, unlike any I’ve ever seen.”
Despite the difficulty and challenges, the employees responded to the need, the director said.
“I commend them for meeting this pandemic head-on,” Allen said. “They didn’t call and say they were afraid. They came in and followed proper PPE (personal protective equipment) precautions and took care of the sick people in our community.”
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