Firefighters in Forsyth County are likely feeling safer after severalĀ personal vehicles were targeted in burglaries earlier this year.
Commissioners voted this week to authorize $300,000 in security improvements at 13 stations, Division Chief Jason Shivers said.
The action is obviously welcome by firefighters.
āItās become almost a trend to prey on firefighters,ā Shivers told Channel 2 Action News.
āIt was a tough pill to swallow.ā
In January, several vehicles belonging to firefighters and medical technicians were targeted at one station, with guns stolen.
Four other stations were hit later that month, and in March, three more stations were victimized, Channel 2 reported. Six guns were taken from personal vehicles in the March incidents.
No security cameras were in place at the time, so firefighters urged county leaders to do something.
They did,, and commissioners are scheduled to formalize the funding next week.
Planned improvements include standalone cameras ($77,000), outsideĀ lighting upgrades at 11 stations ($39,000) and access cards at 11 stations ( $33,000).
āThe firefighters are very much appreciative to the Board of Commissioners for this matter,ā Shivers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Ā āThey have been working diligently with staff to identify the needs and ensure that we have the funding available.ā
Shivers also thanked the Forsyth County Sheriffās Office for their efforts to solve the crimes.
āThey took those break-ins as personally as we did,ā he said.
Elisha Ross, 22, and Ayana Forest, 25, of Gwinnett CountyĀ were arrested in connection with these and other incidentsĀ in multiple metro Atlanta jurisdictions.
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