january 2012 cityscene newsletter

8/3/2019 January 2012 CityScene Newsletter

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BOARD OF

COMMISSIONERS

Next Workshop Meeting

January 24, 9:00 am

Next Regular Meetings

January 10, 6:00 pmJanuary 24, 6:00 pm

Meetings held at

One Griffin Center

W. Elmer George

Municipal Hall

100 South Hill Street

Griffin, Georgia 30223

Commission meetings

videos are available

at www.cityofgriffin.com

Stay current!

Sign up for the email blast atwww.cityofgrifn.com/newsletter

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GreenStreet Newsletter at

www.grifnpower.org

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Griffin’s fire chief has helped develop

a homeland security certification pro-gram to be offered at the UGA-Griffin

campus.

Called the Homeland Security & Emer-

gency Management Institute at the

University of Georgia Griffin campus,

it is a professional program to train

today’s security and response lead-

ers. Griffin Fire-Rescue Chief Tommy

Jones worked with Arthur Cain, thedirector of Continuing Education at

UGA-Griffin to develop the program.

Jones said he, Police Chief Frank

Strickland and City Manger Kenny

Smith completed a similar master’s

degree program at Columbus State,

and he wanted to bring a comparable

program here, which initially started

as a fire officers leadership academy.

For more information call the UGA-

Griffin Office of Continuing Education

at 770-229-3478 or visit online at

www.ugagriffincontinuinged.com.

UGA - Grifn Campus and

Grifn Fire Rescue develop

Homeland Security Training

CityScene

nforming Citizens

anuary 2012

Volume 3 Number 1

Inside:Strongest Link

in the Chain

Page 3

Certied

Work Ready

Community

Page 4

GPD

Explorers

Page 2

A Professional Program to Train Today’s

Security & Response Leaders

Presented by The University of Georgia

Specialist Tracks



The Griffin Police Department’s Explorer program is de-

igned to give youth between the ages of 14 through 18

years of age, hands on experience in law enforcement.

Through this unique program, the youth will be able to ex-perience a series of fun-filled, educational activities that

promote the growth and development of these adolescent

eens and young adults. The Explorers will earn ribbons

or completing classes and also for community service

projects. This year the Explorer program has taken off and

he Explorers have participated in many new and interest-

ng projects in the community. The success of the Explorer

program is due largely to the leadership of Crime Scene

nvestigators Jennifer McClure and Keith Dryden.

Since October, the Explorers have completed a course in

ngerprinting and have served in several community ser-

vice projects that include the Belk Fundraiser, assisting in

he directing of traffic at the Griffin-Spalding County Fair,

and the Trick or Treat event that was held in downtown

Griffin.

This December was the first year the Explorers presented

and decorated a float in the Annual Christmas Parade.

The float was a big hit and the Explorers enjoyed riding on

he float and handing out candy to the spectators. Also in

December, the Explorers took the responsibility for adopt-

ng six local families and provided the nine children with agreat Christmas that would have not been possible without

he generous donations of clothes and toys. On December

5th the Explorers hosted the first annual Christmas party

for the neighborhood children. The party included a m

provided by the Griffin Police Department. Activities inc

ed making personalized ornaments and decorating Ch

mas cookies. There was even a surprise appearanceSanta Claus, who was ‘helped’ by Officer Dryden.

A special thank-you is in order for all who have suppo

and continue to support the Explorer Program as it gro

GPD, Belk, Rita’s Pawnshop, and the Spalding Co

Magistrate Office. Also, special thanks to Judge Rita

vanaugh for allowing the Explorers the opportunity to

serve an actual court proceeding and then answering

questions related to the Judicial System.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting

vestigator Jennifer McClure at770-229-6452.

January 2012 CityScene CityScene CityScene CityScene CityScene CityScene

Griffin Police Department Explorers

The City of Griffin Central Services department wrapped

up the 5th annual canned food drive in December and it

proved to be a great success. Approximately 2,000 food

ems were collected and delivered to the Salvation Army.

Customers are asked to place canned food items with their

ecycling receptacles to be collected by the Solid Waste

department trucks on specified

days.

The City of Griffin and Central Ser-

vices would like to thank the com-

munity for another outpouring of

generosity proving once again that

our city is great place to live.

5th Annual Food Drive

Griffin Power has come up with a comprehensive pla

help eliminate problem areas identified through the outreport and service c

The plan includes imp

ing service to Col

Street and Old Macon

area as well as the

vice area around South

Crescent Technical

lege. These problems

being eliminated thro

tree trimming and ci

automation.

Griffin Power

trims away problems



Griffin Fire Rescue Fire Fighter Benji Barlow is

November Link in the Chain because of his dedicatio

representing Griffin Fire Rescue at the annual Hum

Society Chili Cook-Off. Fire Fighter Barlow, besides d

a great job in his regular duties, represents Griffin

Rescue and the City of Griffin very well by his over

above effort in this project. He has previously won “

People’s Choice” Award in this event and makes sure

Griffin Fire Rescue is made proud of by decorating

table with fireman collectibles.

Fire Fighter Barlow is an asset to our team, and the

of Griffin is honored to announce him as the Novem

Strongest Link in the Chain.

Benji Barlow

November 2011

Link in the Chain

Strongest Link

in the Chain

Award of Excellence

New Emergency

Operations Center


The City of Griffin in conjunction with Spalding County

has established a new Emergency Operations Center

EOC) located in the One Griffin Center at 100 South Hill

Street. The establishment of the new EOC was a goal

et at the first of the year and budgeted in the FY 2011-

2012 budget. The facility was being planned but not yetestablished before this year’s tornados but will serve for

uture critical incidents. It will serve as an effective and

efficient facility for coordinating emergency response ef-

orts and service a number of uses including operations,

raining and meetings. The EOC will enhance the ability of

emergency response personnel to coordinate and direct

emergency response efforts throughout the City of Griffin

and Spalding County.

The EOC is connected to an internal Local Area Network

LAN) and to an external Wide Area Network (WAN) that

provides communications to telephones and data sys-ems and will interface with the countywide 800 mega-

hertz communications system. It has a natural gas gener-

ator providing backup power in the event the main power

ources are not available. The EOC uses the latest audio

visual technology, enabling the distribution and display of

multimedia data from multiple sources across multiple

output devices including PCs, laptop computers; file serv-

ers, video projectors, LCD flat-screen TV monitor. It has

a rack-mounted 48 port high speed switch enabling all

of the elements of the audio, video, conference and data

ystems. Information displayed on any desktop computer workstation can be switched to large screen displays for

common viewing by EOC staff. It is equipped with both

wired and encrypted Wi-Fi Ethernet. An amateur radio

also called ham radio) will be implemented.

Have a great Griffin New Year!



The City of Griffin and Spalding County

Meet the Requirements to Become a

Certified Work Ready Community

The Griffin-Spalding Work Ready Committee is pleased

o announce that we have completed all benchmarks nec-

essary for acceptance by the Governor’s Office of Work-

orce Development (GOWD) as a Certified Work Ready

Community and await an official announcement from the

GOWD. Becoming certified has truly been a team effort,

bringing together individuals and organizations from both

he public and private sectors. This process began in June

2009 and really picked up steam in late 2010. In October

2011, as the deadline for certification was fast approach-

ng, the committee came up with a plan to offer, through

a random drawing, an iPod Nano and a Kindle Fire as an

enticement to anyone taking the Work Ready assessment

n November and early December. The incentive worked

and we reached our goal in mid-December. The winners

were Audra Jester and Christy Waddy, both employees of

he Griffin-Spalding School System.

Georgia Work Ready was launched in August 2006 by

Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Chamber of

Commerce to improve the job training and marketability

of Georgia’s workforce and drive future economic growth

or the state. It is the only initiative of its kind to be con-

ducted through a partnership between a state government

and state chamber of commerce, ensuring that companies

can more reliably match the right people with the right jobs.

Work Ready is based on a skills assessment and certifi-

cation for job seekers and a job profiling system for busi-

nesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the

available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can more

effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs.

distinction will help the City of Griffin and Spalding Co

promote future business growth by showcasing our ta

ed and technically viable workforce.

Members of the Griffin-Spalding Work Ready Comm

are Robert Parker - Chair, Steve Hendrix, Allen Edwa

Bonnie Pfrogner, Sherry Maddock, Miles Neville, Mark

drews, Len Moore, Bill Gay, Joseph Walker, Harry Kier

and Carol Harpe. We would also like to recognize the

lowing for their support: Edna Aikens, Anna Burns, E

Stitt, Jim Ogletree, Carol Jones, Amanda Remington,

Randy Peters, and Rep. David Knight.


Pictured from presentation of random drawing prize winners are Work Ready Commit-

tee members Steve Hendrix, Robert Parker, Allen Edwards, Miles Neville, Anna Burns,

Len Moore and Bonnie Pfrogner. Also pictured are prize winners Audra Jester and Christy

Waddy.

All City of Grifn ofces

will be closed

January 2, 2012to celebrate

New Years’ Day and

January 16, 2012to celebrate

MLK, Jr. Day

january 2012 cityscene newsletter

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