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McCollough honored
by govenor
By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com
Deputy Chief Allen McCullough of the Fayette County Department of Fire
and Emergency Services has received a statewide honor for making outstanding
contributions to his profession.
Gov. Sonny Perdue presented McCullough with one of the Governor’s
Public Safety Awards at a ceremony last week at the Georgia Public Safety
Training Center in Forsyth.
McCullough has been in a leadership role with the department dating back
20 years and is currently the deputy chief of administrative services.
He directs the Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management/Homeland
Security programs in addition to training and education, accreditation
and human resources.
The department became the first in Georgia to receive national accreditation
under McCullough’s leadership. He has also been instrumental in securing
additional training for the department above and beyond what the state
requirements are.
McCullough’s dedication shows in the variety of hats he wears outside
of the fire department. He holds instructor and faculty positions with
Clayton College and State University, Emory University, Mercer University
and the University of Maryland. He established the first paramedic programs
at Griffin Technical Institute and Clayton College and State Unversity
in the early 1980s.
Over the years, McCullough has played a role in numerous local, regional,
state and national awards and recognition for the Emergency Medical Services
system including having the first Automated External Defibrillator program
for fire services., use of a 12-lead heart monitor for the field detection
of heart attacks and the utilization of clot-busting drugs for heart attacks
by paramedics with physician approval.
Fayette County was the first community in the nation to be recognized
as a “Heart Safe Community” by the American Heart Association
as a result of the model established by the EMS.
The department has also been successful in getting over $2 million in
grants and outside funding for a variety of programs including automatic
external defibrillators for fire apparatus and law enforcement vehicles,
developing an early warning sire system to warn susceptible areas of the
county when to take cover for severe weather, radiological monitoring
equipment and other protective equipment for firefighters.
McCullough holds numerous degrees including associates and bachelors degrees
in nursing, fire technology, paramedic technology and masters degrees
in fire safety engineering and public administration. He also has a PhD
in Management (Public Safety Administration).
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