Health leaders from China visited

the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services last week

to learn how officials respond to emergencies so the visitors can improve

their techniques back home.

The group from the Health Ministry

of the People's Republic of China visited a fire station and was

shown modern emergency medical equipment and advanced life support techniques.

They also toured the emergency room at Fayette Community Hospital and

the headquarters of Rescue Air 1, a medical helicopter often used to transport

critical patients to hospitals in downtown Atlanta.

Hong Li, vice director of Tongji

Medical College in the Hunan Province, said through an interpreter that

she was impressed with the seamless manner in which emergency services

are provided here. In China, there is no central phone system such as

911 to access a variety of emergency services, she said. Instead, residents

must use different phone numbers depending on their need.

Li said she also appreciated

"how fast the system responds."

"In China we have a saying

that time is life," Li said. "Saving time helps us save life."

The delegation also was impressed

with the facilities at Fayette Community Hospital, Li said. The group

also hopes to institute a communications and tracking system similar to

the one used here, Li added.

While the delegation also visited

emergency services in San Francisco, Denver, New York and Washington,

D.C., their visit here provided them with a more rural area to observe

how emergencies are dealt with. Fayette County was chosen because of its

excellent reputation, which was learned through interpreter John Lin,

who lived here for over 10 years, Li said.

County Commission Chairman

Greg Dunn presented members of the delegation with gifts to commemorate

their trip. He told them they were always welcome to come visit and he

hoped their visit was the start of a friendship.

"It is important to us

that you know we are your friends," Dunn said.

That sentiment was echoed by

Li as well, who offered to host local officials on a trip to China in

the future and presented Dunn with a gift in appreciation of the county's

hospitality.

Although the Chinese delegation

said they learned much during their trip, local officials said they also

learned from their counterparts.

"In my career, this has

been one of the most interesting and rewarding things I have done,"

said Capt. Pete Nelms.

Deputy Chief Allen McCullough,

who presented them with pins that were replicas of the fire department's

badge, said while the medical challenges faced by China differed slightly

from here, both groups are particularly concerned with response to trauma

incidents.

And despite the differences

in language, the Chinese visitors were also able to joke with their local

counterparts.

A female interpreter told Capt.

Steve Folden that all the ladies of the Chinese delegation had come to

an agreement.

"They all agree you are

very good-looking," the interpreter said as Folden blushed. "In

China, they call it cool."