ATLANTA — Atlanta Fire and Rescue will soon be rolling out a new task force following a major apartment fire that recently broke out in July.
The fire happened on July 27 at 1950 Howell Mill Road NW, the Bell Collier Village apartment complex. Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith said the firefighters responded within five minutes.
The fire broke out on the roof of one of the buildings during a party. Atlanta Fire and Rescue said more than 100 people were at the party, and they believe the fire started after someone used charcoal in a propane grill.
In a news release put out jointly on Friday by the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Fire Rescue, Smith said, "The failure to maintain essential fire safety measures and the presence of an unsanctioned party with hazardous equipment underscores the need for property owners to ensure compliance with safety standards."
On Monday, he announced during his update to the Atlanta City Council at the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee Meeting that the city is forming a new task force of 15 people, including civilians and firefighters.
"As a result of the Howell Mill fire, we have a task force that we’re standing up to identify all of the multiple occupancy properties that may have recreational areas on their rooftops, identity those and go back out and re-inspect."
Smith pointed out that after the initial inspection for the Certificate of Occupancy, the fire department is not required to re-inspect a mixed-use residential property such as Bell Collier Village.
He said Atlanta Fire does, in good faith, try to return to the property to re-inspect it within a two-year window.
However, according to Smith, that window will be reduced with the formation of this new task force.
He also updated the committee on the department's fleet, which has been the center of controversy for months and even more so after a recent audit.
The fleet maintenance audit found funding issues and the lack of a fully operational fleet.
During his presentation, Smith said they have eight engines waiting for delivery and seven support vehicles, including SUVs and trucks.
Smith also talked about Atlanta Fire Rescue's future. He said they're adding Rapid Response vehicles, which are smaller pickup trucks. These vehicles will be staffed with EMTs who will respond to assist on calls where AFR won't have to dispatch their large engines and ladder trucks every time. This will help reduce the wear and tear on their engines.
Smith also said they're getting closer to rolling out the first electric engine on the East Coast. The only other one is with the Los Angeles Fire Department. He said it will be housed at Station 19 on North Highland. They're currently working with Georgia Power to prepare the station for the electric engine.
Atlanta Fire will also add a FAST truck, which stands for Fast Acting Service Truck. This is another initiative to help reduce the number of miles on their large trucks.
"We are trying to do our part to ensure that we change the load and the output that we put on our trucks and move some of those calls into other designated areas to manage those spaces, " said Smith.
He also announced the initiative to roll out a 24/7 response drone unit.
"In collaboration with Atlanta Police where any department in the city that needs a vertical advantage point from a drone perspective, we will be able to assist in those spaces," explained Smith.