News
Congratulations to Sheriff Darren Mitchum and the personnel of the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office for winning the 2012 National Law Enforcement Challenge Ford Police Interceptor SUV at the IACP Convention in San Diego on October 2, 2012. In addition, the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office was also awarded 1st place in the Sheriff 1-25 Sworn Officer category, the National Impaired Driving Enforcement award, and the National Sheriff's Association's Top Traffic Safety Unit award. |
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Georgia House Bill 541 was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on May 1, 2012. Click here to read more about this important law and the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office's involvement. |
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| The Importance of a 9-1-1 Address |
Emergency Numbering Street Signs are an important, but often neglected part of the 911 system. If your address is not marked properly emergency services may not be able to find you. This could be a matter of life and death, or it could save your home in case of a fire. Sheriff Mitchum wants all citizens to make an effort to properly display their address so that the county’s public safety personnel can quickly respond to your needs without having to waste valuable time searching for your residence. Sheriff Mitchum went on to add that in an emergency, you need emergency personnel to respond to the correct address as quickly as possible. 9-1-1 addresses have been established to handle just this situation. 911 addresses are attached to telephone records so that when 911 is dialed, an address will be displayed for emergency services. Therefore, if the caller is unable to speak or give the call-taker driving instructions, they can still be located with a map that appears in the 911 center with their address and residence description. You can purchase your 9-1-1 marker at the Twiggs County EMA office located at 5528 Hwy 96 Jeffersonville GA 31044. Orders can be called in or placed over the phone at 478-945-6968. The office is near the intersection with I-16 and is in front of the Twiggs County Road Department complex. 9-1-1 markers are four inch white reflective numbers on a blue reflective back ground. The signs come with a mounting bracket and post. 9-1-1 markers are $20.00 and for $25.00 the Twiggs County EMA will deliver and install your sign.
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| Middle Georgia Pride: "A Great Deputy" Twiggs County Sheriff's Deputy Marcus Baker 41 WMGT Article/Video |
| Click here to see the video |
 Sheriff’s Office receives check for over $17,000 from the Middle District of Georgia Office of the United States Marshal (April 1, 2011) |
| Click here to see more pictures |
Sheriff’s Office Receives Life Safety Equipment Through Surplus Program
By: Major James McDaniel
The Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office was able to receive $115,000 worth of surplus equipment through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS). DRMS disposes of excess property received from the military services. The inventory changes daily and includes thousands of items: from air conditioners to vehicles, clothing to computers, and much more.
The Sheriff’s Office traveled to Shaw Air Force Base in Columbia, South Carolina, and received the equipment from the Fire Department at Shaw AFB. Items that were picked up were self-contained breathing apparatus or SCBA. SCBA is a device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to provide portable, breathable air in a hostile, IDHL-environment. The equipment consists of 20 Scott air packs and masks and 20 spare tanks.
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Officials at Shaw AFB stated that the equipment is in 100% working order and still has a shelf life past 2018. If Twiggs County had to go and purchase the equipment, it would cost $5,000 for each Scott pack, and $800 for each spare tank. These items were retained at no cost to the county or its taxpayers. The equipment will be used by the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Departments, and the Coroner’s Office.
In 2010, the Sheriff’s Office is slated to receive a grant to start up its own HAZMAT unit. The HAZMAT unit will use the air packs. Monies from the grant that were going to be used to purchase this same type of equipment can now be spent in other areas. Sheriff Mitchum stated since we now were able to get the items for free, we can direct the savings to expand on the program.
The four fire departments in the county will receive units to be placed on the fire trucks in all four stations. The current tanks on all trucks are 30-minute tanks. The tanks obtained by the Sheriff’s Office are 45-minute tanks. Fire Chiefs Andy Thompson and Daniel Wimberly stated that the addition of the 45-minute tanks would give our fire fighters an extra 15 minutes worth of air. An extra 15 minutes allows us to stay on station longer and that is a huge advantage when you are dealing with saving lives and property.
The Coroner’s Office will receive a unit to be used to help in death investigations. Some of the deaths in the county can go days or weeks before the body is discovered. This equipment will allow the Coroner’s Office to be protected from biohazards that result from a decaying body.
The Sheriff’s Office has used this program for the past four years and has made huge improvements to the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Departments, and other areas of the county, while at the same time, improving the quality of life in Twiggs County and saving tax dollars.
The Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office received over $2,000 in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) manikins to be used by its training staff. The manikins will not only be used to train Sheriff’s Office staff, but will also be used to train the fire departments, EMA, and first responders. Courses will also be offered to the general public. Sheriff Mitchum would like to thank the Georgia Emergency Management Agency Excess Property Director Don Sherrod for his assistance in acquiring these items for his office. The Sheriff’s Office has received help from GEMA several times over the past several years. This means a lot to a rural county such as Twiggs that does not have many resources to purchase this type of equipment. Deputies and Jailers are trained in CPR during officer mandate school and also in jailer school. After being schooled, it is up to the agency to keep its employees certified and up-to-date on the latest information. Techniques have been updated over the years, both in a professional and layperson setting, placing more emphasis on chest compressions than mouth-to-mouth breathing. To remain current, CPR certification should be renewed annually or bi-annually. Sheriff Mitchum requires all deputies and staff to keep a current CPR certification. Deputies are dispatched on all medical calls inside the county and, if necessary, are expected to administer life saving techniques until EMS can arrive on scene. There have been multiple instances where deputies have had to use CPR. Especially in the isolated parts of the county where it can take an ambulance up to 45 minutes or an hour to arrive. Sheriff Mitchum expects and demands that if his deputies are put in a life-changing situation that they will know how to react and respond properly. The Sheriff went on to add, “This affords you the opportunity to save a life,” he said. “I’m told for those who have done it, and had the patient come back, there is no greater feeling of satisfaction than to know you’ve brought a person back to life. We are going to put these tools in the hands of our deputies and staff.” Look at the flip side, he pointed out. “Lack of training places you in a situation where you’re left wondering if there’s something you could have done. It is worth knowing our deputies and staff have the knowledge and skills to make a difference.” If anyone or group is interested in getting certified in CPR please contact the Sheriff’s office at 478-945-3357. (October 22, 2009)
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Twiggs County Deputies are regular participants at meetings and roadchecks conducted as a part of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network (MGTEN). During these events, we check drivers licenses, proof of insurance, seat belt usage, child restraint compliance, and vehicle lighting. And, most of all, we are looking for signs of drug or alcohol impairment. (October 22, 2009)
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