Habersham Co. EMS and Sheriff’s Office support Each Other in Mission 

The age-old law enforcement vs. fire service rivalry continues, with good-hearted ribbing and boasts about which branch of public safety is better.  “We like to aggravate each other but when it comes time to serve the public, we are all in – part of one team with one mission: to serve, protect, and save,” said Habersham County Emergency Services Director/Chief Jeff Adams.  Recently, a student at one of Habersham County’s eight elementary schools had to be flown for care following a medical emergency.  Personnel from several agencies worked together to ensure care from the time of the first arriving unit until the AirLife Georgia 2 medical helicopter took off headed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  While the school resource officer worked with school personnel to ensure the student was cared for, other deputies worked to secure the landing zone for the helicopter, while making sure those who still needed to access the campus could do so with slight modifications to their routines.  “The safety of our students is my priority,” said Sheriff Joey Terrell. “It doesn’t matter to me if they are inside or outside city limits, they are all our responsibility. The mommas and daddies trust us to take care of their children and we don’t take that lightly.”  Both Adams and Terrell credit the staff of the school and leadership of the school system, who constantly focus on safety of the county’s 7,200 public school students.