Richmond County  |  Columbia County  |  Burke County

COUNTIES

Richmond County

Housing & Permits | Government, Schools, Water & Sewer
Emergency Services, Zoning & Permits
Permits, Insurance & Industrial Development

The Augusta Sheriff's Department is manned by over 270 sworn officers. The total crime rate has decreased by 5 percent since 1998. The 1999 total crime index per 100,000 residents for violent crimes was 14,475. The number of crimes reported for the county is compiled from all law enforcement agencies operating in the county.

The Augusta Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency service from 19 stations around the city. The department is staffed by 309 full-time fire fighters and handles more than 7,000 calls annually. Augusta-Richmond emergency transport system provides advanced life support services with state-of-the-art emergency medical equipment and professional paramedic staffing.

AMBULANCE SERVICES
There are four privately operated ambulance services in Augusta:

• CSRA Ambulance Service
• Gold Cross EMS
• Rural/Metro Ambulance
• Rural Metro Ambulance Service

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The call center for 911 is managed 24 hours a day and is staffed with 8 Sheriff Deputies, working 12-hour shifts and 2 fireman working 8 hour shifts. 911 gets over 250,000 calls annually and they have a response time of 10-15 minutes for the less serious calls and 3-5 minutes for code blue calls.

ZONING
The Richmond County has zoning ordinances and subdivision design standards. The local Planning Commission coordinates these efforts, providing regulations for structures on mapped streets, public building sites and public open spaces.

The area is divided into Districts or Zones and are as follows:

PERMITS
Permits are obtained through the License and Inspection office and must be obtained by a licensed Contractor. A certificate of competency from the Georgia State Industry Licensing Board will suffice for electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades. The contractor must provide three sets of plans. One set is returned and must be kept at the job site. The following documents must be submitted prior to plan review:

• Three sets of plans
• Water/Sewer tap applications
• Approved site plan by Planning & Zoning
• Permit Application

Plan review is completed within 14 working days; depending upon the size and nature of the project. The contractor may request a time to meet and discuss the submitted plans. A permit is required any time the cost of the materials is over $100 or if the project requires an inspection.