Fire and police recap recent fatal incidents; firefighters recognized for a July rescue

Fire Chief Greg Brett told council the fire department has recently responded to a string of difficult incidents: a car fire with a teenage death on Sept. 24, a head‑on collision and death on Sept. 26, and a deceased person found under a bridge the prior weekend. He praised coordination among fire, police, EMS and public works and recognized personnel for their work under difficult circumstances.

Brett described a July search‑and‑rescue at Cochran Mill Park in which firefighter EMTs Raphael White and James Luster located and led a distressed young woman from the Orange Trail to awaiting ambulance personnel. Brett read the text of a service plaque recognizing their actions: "A devoted and intuitive leader serving citizen and friend, Chattahoochee Hills Fire Rescue is fortunate. You are among us. Know the way. Go the way." He also commended police Captain Richard Stein for assisting with family matters during the incident.

Police Chief Kevin Digou provided an update on the Woodruff investigation: officers called the GBI to process a recently discovered deceased person; the body was sent to the Fulton County Medical Examiner and the manner and cause of death remain under investigation. Digou said calls for service and arrests have increased relative to last September and asked residents with information to contact Detective Martin.