The H.E.A.T. Unit one year later: No fatal crashes in Warner Robins

WARNER ROBINS — The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the Warner Robins Police Department teamed up to launch the H.E.A.T. Unit in October 2024, and they are marking the first year of their traffic-law enforcement program with a significant statistic.

Since the program’s inception, the department has reported zero fatal car crashes, a significant improvement compared to nine fatalities recorded between October 2023 and September 2024, according to H.E.A.T. Unit supervisor, Sgt. Chris Fussell.

Describing the reduction as a milestone for the agency, Fussell said it not only possibly saved lives, but also resulted in significant savings for both city residents and visitors.

“Traffic crashes cause more property damage or loss than most other things that we as law enforcement deal with. Cars these days are not cheap, so [with] the damage incurred through a crash or the loss of life, it’s something big for us to say, ‘Because we were out, because we were proactive in our traffic enforcement, we were able to slow down motorists,’” he said.

The H.E.A.T. Unit’s approach has four core enforcement points: distracted driving, seatbelt use, speeding, and driving under the influence. Fussell said speeding and not wearing a seatbelt increase the chances of serious injury or death in an accident, while driving distracted or under the influence increases the likelihood of being involved in a crash. 

“Everybody knows distracted driving. It’s one of the main contributing factors to overall accidents inside the city limits of Warner Robins. And then DUIs, that speaks for itself. Impaired drivers are not only putting themselves at risk, but as well as all of our families that drive the roads of Warner Robins every day,” he said.

The H.E.A.T. Unit, funded by a grant from the GOHS, is set to begin another year-long cycle, but the department has been actively working with the statewide agency prior to establishing the program.

“I’ve been in our traffic unit off-and-on for roughly 11 years, and in that time, we have always had a very close partnership with GOHS. Based on our number of crashes in years past, we were able to receive this H.E.A.T. grant. Our points of contact with GOHS are very receptive and very helpful with navigating the first year of the grant and giving us information on how to make things better,” Fussell said.

Similar to this cycle, motorists can expect to see an increase in traffic enforcement and police visibility on major roads.

“We will be out at night. We will be out in the day, and we will actively enforce, to try and keep our city at zero motor vehicle fatalities,” Fussell said.

In 2025, the state saw 932 deaths from vehicle accidents, according to Fussell. He is hopeful that the absence of fatal accidents in Warner Robins will become a mainstay as the department continues enforcement; the GOHS’s mission is to reduce fatalities statewide.

In the meantime, Fussell’s advice to motorists is simple. 

“Don’t speed. Put your phones down. Wear your seat belts and drive sober,” he said.