STAFF REPORT :::
Governor Brian Kemp has authorized the activation of up to 2,000 members of the Georgia National Guard in order to fight COVID-19.
At this time, more than 170 service members are activated in response to the pandemic.
They have mobilized to support requests from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).
“I am deeply grateful to the men and women of the Georgia National Guard fighting this pandemic,” said Governor Kemp. “Working with GEMA, DPH, and our partners in the medical field, the Georgia National Guard is providing critical support in our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on our state.”
Guardsmen from the Georgia Army and Air National Guard operate from the State Operations Center in Atlanta. Service members primarily serve as liaisons to receive and dispatch requests from state agencies to the Georgia National Guard’s Joint Operations Center for resourcing.
The Georgia National Guard is engaging two Medical Support Teams at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. The two teams – one of which arrive on site Thursday and the second scheduled to arrive today – are comprised of 22 service members, one doctor, two physician’s assistants, four nurses, 13 military medics and a medical supply specialist.
The Georgia National Guard also provided five ventilators for use at Phoebe Putney and has an additional five service member currently supporting Pruitt Palmyra Nursing Home in Albany.
These teams provide support to the professional medical staff at each facility in order to enable them to focus on critical life-saving requirements.
Officials say it is important to note that these teams do not exist in the military. They are purpose built and have been deployed to the point of need in just over one week.
The Georgia National Guard has generated 12 other teams for deployment across the state.
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