DeKalb County employees who die in the line of duty will now have death benefits paid to their beneficiaries after the Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to the meeting agenda. The benefit covers all county officers, employees and deputies, including DeKalb County Fire Rescue personnel who respond to emergencies in Dunwoody.
The board also accepted more than $844,000 in federal public safety grants at the same meeting, held at 178 Sam's Street in Decatur.
Death benefit ordinance
Home Rule Ordinance 2026-0941 amends the DeKalb County Pension Code to add a line-of-duty death benefit for beneficiaries of county workers who die on or after Oct. 1, 2026. The ordinance applies countywide across all commission districts.
DCFR provides fire and EMS services to Dunwoody under an intergovernmental agreement that runs through 2067, according to county procurement records. Firefighters and paramedics who respond to calls in the city are among those covered by the new benefit.
The ordinance also bars pension participants from adding, replacing or removing a designated joint annuitant after benefit payments have begun.
$844K in federal grants
Commissioners accepted three federal grants totaling $844,733.59:
- $435,827.59 — GY2024 Urban Area Security Initiative grant
- $132,750 — GY2024 UASI grant
- $276,156 — FY26 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area grant
The UASI program is administered by the Atlanta Regional Commission and funds homeland security and emergency preparedness across the 11-county metro Atlanta region, including DeKalb. The HIDTA grant supports drug trafficking enforcement in the Atlanta-Carolinas region, which includes DeKalb among other metro counties, according to federal HIDTA records.
The specific uses for each grant were not detailed in the meeting agenda.
Other public safety actions
The board approved several additional items, including the appointment of interim Deputy Fire Chief Winfred Smith II to DeKalb Post 4 of the Region 3 Emergency Medical Service Advisory Council, the official retirement of two police K-9s named Fire and Fury to their handlers, and a $302,400 change order for upfitting 10 emergency response vehicles for the Marshal's Office.
The actions come six days after DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson appointed Melvin K. Carter as the new DCFR chief. Carter is a 26-year department veteran and lifelong DeKalb resident.
"It is an incredible honor to serve as Fire Chief in the community where I was born, raised and have dedicated my career," Carter said in a county statement upon his Aug. 5 appointment.
The next Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 9 a.m. at 178 Sam's Street in Decatur.
