Report slams Fulton 911; leader told to resign

Fulton County’s longtime emergency communications director has been asked to resign as county officials begin to reshape a 911 department consultants say has fallen apart due to poor leadership and bad management.

Zachary Williams, Fulton’s county manager, said Thursday he expected Alfred “Rocky” Moore to be gone by year’s end.

Moore has been serving as county emergency management director since August, when he was removed from his other post as 911 director after the Aug. 2 death of Johns Creek resident Darlene Dukes.

A Fulton 911 operator mistakenly sent emergency crews to southwest Atlanta rather than Dukes’ apartment in north Fulton. Help didn’t arrive for 26 minutes and Dukes died from a blood clot in her lung.

Williams said a national search would soon get under way as part of a six-month turnaround plan designed to improve performance, management and morale and restore public confidence after Dukes’ tragic death.

“My message today to the citizens of Fulton County is that we have already begun to improve this center,” Williams said, “and, we will not stop until it meets the standard of excellence.”

Williams’ comments came as he discussed findings in a series of reports he commissioned about 60 days ago. Consultants looked at everything from personnel procedures to the handling of calls and technology to management and morale.

In every case, they found the center and its managers lacking.

Commissioner Bill Edwards said he expected criticism but was surprised that consultants reported such widespread problems under Moore’s leadership. Still, he said Fulton’s not sweeping anything under the rug.

Only a complete overhaul will fix the agency and restore public confidence, he said.

“We need to take the audits and overhaul the entire 911 system,” said Edwards. “Once we do, we need to put processes in place that make sure the system continues operating properly. Never again will I just accept what people tell me. I’m going to want to know what’s going on with 911.”

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation into center operations found chronic tardiness and absenteeism as well as high vacancy and turnover rates. County records showed employees constantly complaining about being forced to stay for extra shifts to fill in for folks who did not show or to make up for the county’s inability to hire or retain employees. Records also showed those conditions contributed to employees being written up for more than 1,100 infractions over nearly four years.

Moore, who earned more than $130,000 a year in the dual role, was appointed EMA director in July 2006. He had served as director of Fulton County’s 911 operations since Oct. 1, 1997.

Moore did not return messages left on his cellphone, office phone or e-mail.

Oregon-based Emergency Services Consulting Inc. turned in an 81-page report detailing low morale, poor training, bad communication, inept management and other issues. They recommended Fulton make 30 specific changes, some urgent and others long term.

Williams said he’s negotiating with the firm now to oversee the six-month overhaul while Fulton searches for Moore’s replacement. He would not reveal a possible cost.

The company’s report says the center “is lacking sound and progressive management, facilitating poor leadership. As a result, operational practices, technical updates and upgrades and customer service is in a state of neglect and in some areas, major disrepair.”

The firm goes on to say that the 911 center “requires significant work at rebuilding bridges, both externally and internally. This requires, however, a significant and sincere undertaking that even a genuine approach takes time to rebuild.”

The department also faced scrutiny about its personnel practices from the county’s human resources department as well as a review by police of Dukes’ death.

Police found 911 operator Gina Conteh made several mistakes and violated policy repeatedly in her handling of the call. Conteh was later fired. She has appealed.

The personnel review conducted by county staff found repeated complaints by center employees about being forced to work extra shifts because of chronic understaffing as well as a series of beefs with upper management for not communicating well with staff and then hammering employees for the slightest failure.

Williams promised Fulton is looking at workplace satisfaction as part of its review.

“We recognize that emergency communications staff are people, not machines,” Williams said.

He also urged Fulton residents and those who use 911 to give the county some time to get things right. “It’s not going to be an overnight fix,” the manager said.