December 2022 | Volume 16 | Issue 4
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City seeks to help homeless population By NEAL EMBRY
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he city of Homewood, along with neighboring municipalities and Jefferson County, is trying to tackle issues associated with homelessness while helping the homeless get the help they need. “Being homeless is not a crime,” Councilwoman Jennifer Andress said. But, Andress said other associated acts like panhandling and loitering are crimes. The issues of panhandling and loitering have come up in discussions between Homewood and neighbor Mountain Brook, along with Jefferson County. The Homewood Police Department has stepped up trying to stop the criminal acts from happening while having compassion for those who might need help. “It’s not illegal to be homeless,” Sgt. John Carr with the Homewood Police Department said. The Police Department has discouraged law-breaking and made a handful of arrests to try to curb the behavior, which Carr said has been successful. They’ve also closed at least two encampments, as there are numerous public health issues with setting up a camp. “That just creates a whole other set of issues,” Carr said. Still, the department’s aim is not to simply kick people out of the city and send them elsewhere. Carr said it is not uncommon for officers to give rides to shelters, and department leaders have partnered with organizations offering
See HOMELESS | page A17
Braden Staggs, one of the case managers at Firehouse Ministries, speaks with Charles Powell, a client at the facility about training for his new job as a facilitator for heavy equipment with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Nov. 9. Photo by Erin Nelson.
City changes ambulance service to improve wait times
Sharleda Gomez, a field training officer with Lifeguard Emergency Medical Services, lays on a stretcher as Austin May, left, the dayshift lieutenant, Richard Swartz, an emergency medical technician advanced, and Emergency Medical Services Chief Andy Osbourn, load the stretcher onto the ambulance during a simulation Nov. 14. Photo by Erin Nelson.
By NEAL EMBRY The city of Homewood made a major change with the new fiscal year, opting to fund a contract with Lifeguard Ambulance Service to ensure dedicated ambulances could serve the city’s residents and cut down on long response times. Due to what appears to be a widespread staffing shortage, response times for those needing an ambulance in the city of Homewood had become too long, city leaders said.
INSIDE
Sponsors......................... A4 News................................. A6
Business.......................... A8 Community.................... A12
“Time delays became an issue,” Fire Chief Nick Hill said.
THE PROBLEM
The city, until recently, was one of many municipalities in the area that worked with Regional Paramedic Services to obtain transport for those in need. While Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky stressed it wasn’t
Schoolhouse..................A15 Sports.............................. B4
See AMBULANCE | page A18 Events.............................. B8 Opinion........................... B12 facebook.com/thehomewoodstar
Moving Next Door
Holiday Events
Piggly Wiggly relocates a few feet from its current space in order to build a bigger store.
Homewood celebrates the festive season with the annual Christmas Parade and star lighting.
See page A10
See page B8
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