Q: What is the director of GEMA paid? How long has he been director? What was his experience before becoming director?
—Pat Eubank, Dunwoody
A: Charley English, whose annual salary is $122,003.52, was appointed the director of Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA)/Homeland Security in February 2006. English was a Clayton County police officer from 1980-87, and was regional police academy director in 1986-87. He held various positions within the Training Division of the State Peace Office Training and Standards Council from 1987-96, eventually rising to division director. He joined GEMA in 1996, as part of the planning team for the 1996 Summer Olympics. He had several responsibilities before becoming deputy director, and also earned a master's degree in homeland defense in 2004. He was on a Federal Preparedness Task Force, appointed by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and is president of the National Emergency Management Association and state point of contact for the FirstNet Public Safety Broadband Network. He's participated in several notable operations, including severe flooding across the state in 2009 and an outbreak of tornadoes in 2011.
Q: When all the power trucks were assembled and waiting in Atlanta for the ice storm, I noticed they all had their buckets extended into the air while they were parked. Is this done for security reasons?
—Leon E. Collins, Stone Mountain
A: Georgia Power extends the buckets on parked trucks to keep non-employees from climbing into them, a spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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