sources, provides reassurance
ability of the agencies tasked with Davis, State Warning Point Shift
frequently conducts search and
rescue operations in rural areas of
providing the requested assistance. Supervisor, who was recently
Georgia,
according to Copenny,
“A great multi-agency effort
promoted to Administrative
the wildlife calls can not only be
we contributed to was finding a
Assistant for GEMA/HS’
exciting,
but uplifting.
missing 4-year-old,” said Aquevia Operations Division. “The little boy
“When people call about wildlife
went missing in the woods after
many
times it’s about bears,” she
dark. It was cold and there had
said. “I’d imagine running into a
been reports of wild dogs in the
bear somewhere would be pretty
area.”
terrifying. On rare occasions they
A request for assistance came
will
wander into a neighborhood
in for a FLIR (forward looking
and that’s when people panic.”
infrared) helicopter and State
In contrast to that panic is the
Warning Point relayed that
excitement some people feel when
request to Georgia State Patrol
they are witnessing nature at work.
and DNR. Troopers responded,
Every year, sea turtle eggs begin
along with DNR rangers and the
hatching on the beaches of coastal
local EMA.
Georgia and as the hatchlings
“I’m a mother and all I could
make their way to the sea, it
do was think that that could be
causes a great deal of excitement.
my son,” said Davis. “It was so
“Sometimes people will call us
hard waiting to find out what
just to let us know that the turtles
was happening, and I was
are hatching,” said Copenny.
concerned, worried, panicky –
“You can tell when they are on the
all the emotions that a mother
phone that they are really excited
would feel if her child were in
about it and they just have to tell
danger, but I wouldn’t allow
someone, so we take those calls
myself to think the worst. I knew
too.”
people were out looking for him
No two days are the same for
and would do everything they
the dedicated operators working
in State Warning Point, but they
could to locate him. When he
take the excitement in stride and
was finally found it was such an
provide
valuable information
incredible relief and I was so
and resources when requested.
thankful.”
Whether
it’s a natural disaster, or
Since they handle so many
different requests, it’s impossible a natural wonder, the staff of State
Warning Point are just a phone
to say which is the most critical,
call away for GEMA/HS’ local
but for the operators the calls
that are often the most interesting and state partners.
are DNR requests. Though DNR