Augusta, GA
I-TEAM UPDATE: Silent Alarms continue inside the Augusta Fire Department
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A system that’s supposed to get help to you faster but instead is causing calls to go unanswered and delays with deadly outcomes for taxpayers in Richmond County.
For the past six months, the I-TEAM has been investigating Augusta’s 911 dispatching for fire stations across Richmond County.
It’s raising the question: How do you know if first responders will show up when it’s you and your family calling for help?
That was the reality for Waralene Currie, who lives in Richmond County.
An early morning emergency is now a blur for her. She can’t remember much — because she wasn’t awake when first responders arrived at her home.
FULL I-TEAM COVERAGE:
A 911 report sheds light on what happened that morning her family called 911 for help. She was unconscious and her family was doing CPR while waiting for first responders to arrive, according to the report.
“They didn’t think that I was going to pull through,” said Currie.
On August 31, 2022, at 1:50 a.m., Currie’s family called 911 for help as she was having a heart attack. 911 dispatchers send an ambulance and firefighters trained as EMTs.
It takes 11 minutes for dispatch to notice Augusta Fire Station 16 isn’t responding, according to 911 documents and dispatch radio traffic. After those 11 minutes pass by — dispatch calls for Engine 16 twice in a matter for 35 seconds.
Engine 16 was the initial unit called to Currie’s home.
Another five minutes tick by, but 911 has to dispatch to a completely different station. Engine 6 responds to the call instead.
After being dispatched, Engine 6 radios to dispatch asking if 16 is responding to the call. Dispatch responds saying, “That’s affirmative but they weren’t acknowledging Purvis. I couldn’t get ahold of Engine Company 16. Engine 6, we were trying to call them on the telephone. They’re not answering.”
23 minutes go by before firefighters finally arrive at Currie’s home.
The I-TEAM reviewed 911 records and found Engine 16 never received the emergency call. Dispatch manually called the station landline, but no one heard it.
“By the time I got to the hospital, I had had a stroke along with a heart attack and was in there for a week,” said Currie.
Currie’s case is one of at least 139 dispatching errors discovered by the I-TEAM. That includes everything from car accidents to fires and medical emergencies, like the one experienced by Currie.
“In my case, it could’ve cost me my life,” said Currie.
For Tommy Williams’ family, the price of the problem cost two lives. Our I-TEAM shared their story first on April 29, 2024.
Teresa Ingram and Rex Williams didn’t make it alive from a house fire. Both were found inside just steps from the front door and just across the street from Station 16, which never received the initial call from dispatch.
“It’s literally right across the street from the fire department,” said one 911 caller.
The I-TEAM found hundreds of emails within the Augusta Fire Department. Emails like one saying, “Engine 13 was dispatched over Purvis — and did not receive tones. There was a 16-minute response to a call that was 200 yards from the station.”
Another email wrote, “There was a network outage — and the internet was down for over three to four hours. During that time, Purvis failed to work. If you did not manually send the call, they never received it.”
Purvis is part of Augusta’s 911 response equipment. A dispatcher types in a location.
Purvis is supposed to then dispatch help based on the location and urgency of the emergency.
The data goes through an interface designed by Tyler Technologies. The I-TEAM has now learned the city may have known Tyler Technologies was a potential problem three years ago.
MORE FROM THE I-TEAM:
An email from September 2021 shows issues with Tyler Technologies’ CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) interface when the Purvis System was being tested.
Purvis reached out to Tyler Technologies via email saying, “We obviously have been testing with Augusta Fire, and I am sensing their patience is wearing thin. But also, the next customer down the road, Nassau County Fire, is talking about canceling the project because this has been lingering for so long.”
The system failures have a face and a human cost. Through the I-TEAM’s open records request, we found out the Augusta Fire Department never tracked just how many times initial emergency calls went unanswered.
We know it was at least 139 calls because we confirmed that after spending four months reviewing county emails, but there could be more.
Currie’s case is a perfect example of the failure of this system. Her case may be a small percentage, but those are lifesaving services. These are things that people could die over, no matter if it’s one case or a thousand cases.
“It’s alarming. I would like to be able to call them and get the help that I need,” said Currie.
It appears the fire department only began to investigate after the I-TEAM started to investigate.
On March 12, 2024, James Perkins wrote, “As you may have heard, the news media is investigating calls that Purvis is not announcing. I would like to set up a meeting to discuss this and possibly reach out to Tyler and have them investigate. The latest incident occurred today for a working structure fire.”
Currie cherishes every day, but her sense of safety has been shaken since that morning two years ago.
The I-TEAM reached out to the Augusta Fire Department a handful of times for a sit-down interview with Fire Chief Antonio Burden.
They provided the I-TEAM a statement saying:
“Thank you for reaching out regarding the Augusta Fire Department. Chief Burden appreciates your interest in providing a comprehensive view of our operations to the citizens of Richmond County.
We believe our previous communications and the open records we have provided effectively demonstrate the Augusta Fire Department’s commitment to our dispatching system. Our mission is to keep the citizens of Augusta well-informed and to deliver professional and efficient emergency services, ensuring the protection of lives, property, and the environment within our community. At this time, we have no further comments on this matter. Thank you for your understanding and consideration.”
The I-TEAM previously reached out to Augusta Commissioner Catherine Smith-McKnight for comment on our ongoing investigation. She chairs the Public Safety Committee in Richmond County. She told the I-TEAM the issue would be brought up at a commission meeting on May 28, 2024.
The discussion of the I-TEAM report was moved to executive session. As of now, there has been no indication city leaders or fire officials have discussed our investigation in a legal meeting.
We’ll continue following this story and keep you updated as we uncover more information.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Four individuals from Augusta have been indicted by a federal Grand Jury on federal drug trafficking charges, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Southern District of Georgia announced Thursday.
The following individuals were indicted:
(Indictments contain charges, and defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.)
- Tyriquez McFadden, 39, and Nichael Lessey, 44, both of Augusta, charged in a five-count indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
- Roman Kelly, 51, of Augusta, indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
These charges carry statutory penalties up to life in prison, substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
Drought-fueled wildfires burn across Georgia, Florida
Wildfires in Georgia and Florida have forced evacuations, road closures and burn bans as the drought-fueled fires burn thousands of acres.
Two large wildfires burning in south Georgia were now 90% contained, as of Wednesday, after consuming about 54,000 acres, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.
The Pineland Road Fire has burned 32,575 acres. The Highway 82 Fire has burned 22,420 acres.
However, fuel conditions remain extremely dry, officials said. Containment continues to improve on both fires, but crews remain actively engaged in patrol, suppression, and mop-up operations.
Seth Hawkins, urban and community forestry program coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Commission, worked on the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County, which is still about 22,000 acres. Suppression costs are estimated to exceed $18.3 million.
“The rain put out the active flame on that fire,” Hawkins said. “However, there’s still that deep layer, that organic material, burning, and hot spots can still flare up as soon as humidity drops.”
Hawkins said 166 people are still working hot spots on the Highway 82 fire, setting up sprinkler systems where needed.
As of May 12, the State Forester burn ban has been lifted, but the Environmental Protection Division’s summer burn ban remains in place. Many counties may still have local ordinances. Georgia residents are encouraged to check with their county before burning.
The state remains in an extreme drought.
“It’s just unique down there because of all that organic fuel,” Hawkins said. “And when it dries out, it’s very susceptible to ignition. It’s going to be a long, hot, dry summer. We’re telling folks to keep their guard up and be safe with campfires and debris burning.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@usatodayco.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday marked the opening of Georgia’s newest behavioral health crisis center.
The new state-of-the-art facility, operated by Serenity Behavioral Health Systems, officially opened at 3421 Mike Padgett Highway.
The center was made possible through a state investment, including nearly $14 million in construction funding and $9.4 million for operations provided by the state.
The center replaces Serenity’s previous 16-bed crisis stabilization unit, which served the community for 17 years with funding support from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
Expanded capacity
The new facility significantly expands crisis response capacity and includes:
- 24 crisis stabilization unit beds.
- 16 temporary 23-hour observation chairs,
- Capacity to serve up to 40 people at once.
- Staff increases from about 200 to 245
“We care. We’re here to help people. We’re here to serve,” said Chuck Williamson, the CEO of Serenity Behavioral Health.
The center will provide short-term stabilization, assessment and treatment services for individuals experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises.
People can seek services voluntarily or be referred through law enforcement, hospitals or the courts. The typical stay is three to five days but can be as long as 10 days.
Meeting community need
Bethany Trapp and Lt. Sean Rhodes say they head into encampments and wooded areas twice a month, connecting people in crisis to help.
“We go out and seek out these individuals that aren’t coming for resources, that may be suffering from a mental health situation,” said Rhodes, a lieutenant with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Team.
“We actually came across a couple of folks this morning who are in the middle of drug use, who said, ‘I want to get clean,’” said Trapp, program coordinator for CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority’s Marion Barnes Center.
Rhodes said law enforcement is often first on scene, and with emergency rooms and jails serving as the overflow for people in crisis, the need for this expansion goes beyond the new facility.
“This will take a lot of pressure off of the courts, off the jails, off law enforcement. There’s finally a place that’s very much dedicated and specialized in helping people when they have a crisis of those types,” Williamson said.
Part of statewide strategy
The opening of the Augusta Behavioral Health Crisis Center is part of Georgia’s broader strategy to build a stronger, more responsive behavioral health system focused on early intervention, crisis stabilization and long-term recovery support.
In the past five years, the state has started developing five new crisis center locations in Clayton, Fulton, Laurens and Richmond counties.
“This center represents hope for individuals and families experiencing a behavioral health or substance use crisis while also providing critical support to hospitals, law enforcement, and emergency responders throughout the region,” Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kevin Tanner said at Wednesday’s ceremony.
“For the first time, in my lifetime, I see that behavioral health and mental health is being given respect and parity with primary care and physical health care,” Williamson said.
Officials with Serenity Behavioral Health said the timeline to move into the new facility is still being finalized, but they expect the transition to take place in June.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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