Morning, y’all! There are two ways to think of spring in Georgia: Bunnies, daffodils and bright azaleas; or pollen, snakes and allergies. Kind of a glass half full/half empty situation. At least things should warm up this weekend. Let’s get to it.
THE COST OF LONG 911 WAIT TIMES
It’s a living nightmare: You’re in the middle of a medical emergency and you call 911. Long seconds go by, maybe minutes, with no answer.
In 2024, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Investigations team spoke to dozens of people around the Atlanta area who experienced the nightmare of long 911 wait times.
One woman was hit through the neck and face by a stray bullet, bleeding while panicked family and neighbors tried to reach an operator over and over again. Another woman, a trained nurse, tried in vain to save her husband from cardiac arrest while waiting for an answer.
Spurred by these stories and others, investigative reporters Katherine Landergan and Stephanie Renee Lamm spent months poring through records, conducting analyses and talking to local agencies. They found 911 wait times in the Atlanta metro area were routinely not meeting national standards, made worse by chronic understaffing.
The people they spoke to claimed the wait times could have cost lives.
I talked to Landergan about the team’s work. Here are some highlights, edited for content and clarity:
How did this investigation start?
KL: It actually first came to our attention because Stephanie (Lamm) was on hold with 911 and had never heard of this before. This was in 2022. And she was really curious about it. We wanted to know if the issue was widespread. I said this deserves more than a single story. Let’s team up and look into it.
How many people did you speak with to get an idea of the situation?
KL: We interviewed dozens of people, and I think we heard from more than 150 people in different parts of Atlanta. Of course, we had to verify their stories. In a moment of crisis, it’s hard to estimate actual wait time. It feels like forever. That was a difficult process.
Did any story really stick with you?
KL: It would definitely be Lisa Hall (the trained nurse) for me. We talked for weeks before she decided this was something she wanted to do. She is a very private person but wanted to be able to do something after this tragedy. Earning her trust and being able to do that interview was a privilege as a reporter.
The AJC’s 911 calls series:
- A stray bullet grievously injured a young mother. 911 didn’t pick up until her family was already rushing her to the hospital.
- As she tried to save her husband in cardiac arrest, a trained nurse waited for 911 to answer.
- A boy was bleeding from his head after a scooter accident, but a bystander’s 911 calls were met with “high volume” messages.
- In 2023, DeKalb put half of 911 callers on hold. Residents shared their stories.
You can read the full series above. It’s heavy, but there’s some good news: In the year since Landergan and Lamm released their investigation, 911 wait times in Atlanta have notably improved. 911 call centers have bolstered staffing and training, and more funding has been planned to fix the issue. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
We want to hear from you. Do you have a question for Stephanie and Katherine about the investigation? They’d love to hear from you. Email me at aj.willingham@ajc.com, and I’ll pass your message along. Remember to include your name and where you’re from. We’ll publish some of your questions and answers here next week.
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FARMWORKERS MEET AT THE GEORGIA CAPITOL
More than 100 farmworkers and older children of farmworkers will meet with lawmakers at the Georgia State Capitol today to mark the start of Farmworker Awareness Week, which begins next week.
This is the fifth “Farmworker Families at the Capitol” event, organized by the Atlanta-based Latino Community Fund Georgia. Here’s what they’re trying to accomplish:
- The event is designed to connect rural communities to Georgia’s political power center.
- It gives lawmakers a chance to meet directly with people who make up the foundation of the state’s agricultural industry, rather than farm owners or people farther up the chain.
- This year, the event will have more meaning. Immigrants have an outsized role in Georgia’s critical agricultural industries. Anti-immigrant sentiment has flourished during the Trump administration, and President Donald Trump has an ally in Gov. Brian Kemp.
- Activists hope hearing directly from immigrant farmworkers will provide new insight into a complex issue.
We're talking something as simple as keeping our fridges stocked, keeping our stores stocked. And this is all on the back of migrant workers.
SEEKING SAFER BRAIDING OPTIONS
A recent Consumer Reports study about toxic synthetic braiding has set off waves of concern in Atlanta’s Black communities.
- The study found toxins in 10 brands of synthetic braiding hair, which could cause issues such as cancer, hormonal damage and even brain damage.
- Our Black Hair Matters, a resource for Black hair consumers, held a fireside chat earlier this month with hair scientist Dr. Crystal Porter, Spelman College assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry Dr. Michelle Gaines, process development engineer Amber Matthews, and cosmetic sales manager Kenton Hipsher to talk about the issue.
- They agreed the report isn’t definitive but is another strong argument for more research into Black hair care products.
- Atlanta-area stylists say they’re working on alternative methods and brands to ensure the safety of themselves and their clients.
🔎 Read more about the study, and what brands were tested, here.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🚌 Trump signed an executive order Thursday that calls for the dismantling of the Education Department, an agency Republicans have talked about closing for decades. Eliminating the department altogether would likely require an act of Congress.
🚇 A Thursday MARTA meeting got heated as the board argued over two audits that have provided very different estimates for how much MARTA may have overcharged the city for bus projects. How different? One says $865,000. The other says ... $70 million.
💰 The Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern Corp. gave $500,000 to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to fund the center’s expansion.
🤖 Regulators have recalled nearly all Tesla Cybertrucks over loose stainless steel panels.
NEWS BITES
Ranking the Masters Club Dinners of the past
Lobster, sushi or Iberian ham? The most detailed Masters Club Dinner analysis you’ll read today.
An Italian beach town has been invaded by midges, residents seek emergency declaration
A very weird headline if you don’t know what midges are. (They’re little bugs.)
Who’s more bulldog-like, Gonzaga’s Spike or UGA’s Hairy Dawg? An expert weighs in
Yes, we tapped the Bulldog Club of America for this critical question!
And just like that, Georgia’s out of the NCAA Tournament :(
Hairy Dawg is verklempt.
ON THIS DATE
March 21, 1996
From the front page of The Atlanta Constitution: Fulton County may have found a solution to its homeless problem: Put it on a bus heading out of town.
Not a proud moment in the city’s history. A program to bus unhoused people out of Atlanta ahead of the 1996 Olympics actually began in 1994. A few months before the Summer Games began, Fulton County added a clause making participants vow to not to come back to Atlanta.
Police also arrested more than 9,000 unhoused residents between May 1995 and May 1996, a number one official said was four times greater than other years.
ONE MORE THING
What, you think I’d forget some suggestions for weekend fun? You got me, I almost did. But fear not! This week’s roundup includes the Atlanta Fair, the Georgia Food + Wine Festival, the Harlem Globetrotters, lots of science stuff and more. I’m looking forward to hanging out at the Alif Institute and learning how to make mamoul, an Arabic shortbread cookie popular around Eid. Have fun, y’all!
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
