MetroAtlanta Ambulance sent several Disaster Response Teams to the city of Ringgold to provide much needed relief to the local 9-1-1 provider, Angel EMS, while their employees and their community begins the process of cleaning up the debris from an EF-4 tornado and rebuilding their community.
On the night of April 27, 2011, one of the longest running EF-4 tornados in history worked its way across Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and up through Georgia before hitting the city of Ringgold leaving in its wake a path of devastation and destruction. Over 100 homes and multiple businesses and schools were damaged or destroyed, more than 20 people were killed and more than thirty others were severely injured. The tornado cut a 48-mile path through Ringgold that was estimated to be one-half mile wide with winds between 175-190 miles per hour. Surrounding EMS agencies came to the aid of the local EMS provider immediately and for weeks afterwards as the community began to piece back their lives, their businesses and their homes. MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service sent several Disaster Response Teams to assist the local EMS provider maintain 9-1-1 coverage in the storm damaged area giving local responders time to take care of their personal affairs. MetroAtlanta’s Lt. Kati Bardo stated, “The medics here need time to take care of their families and let what has happened here sink in. We’re grateful to be here for these medics and for this community.”
MetroAtlanta Ambulance provides 9-1-1 ambulance service for Cobb County, Georgia and is one of only 135 EMS Services in the nation to receive accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, signifying compliance with the EMS industries highest quality standards of care.