The county’s public-safety leaders presented three items to the Board of Commissioners: acceptance of a state-administered wellness grant, approval of a contract to upgrade 9-1-1 radio consoles, and permission to surplus a K-9 that is unsuitable for service.

Chief Burchett said the county applied for and was awarded grant funds administered by the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police to purchase wellness and personnel-management software called Essential Personnel. He asked the board to accept $44,509.44 to cover one year of the product. Burchett said the software logs critical incidents, training, rosters and other workforce-management items and can flag a buildup of critical incidents so supervisors may refer employees to resources.

Burchett also asked the board to approve a Motorola radio-console contract to replace consoles at the county’s primary and backup 9-1-1 centers. He said the consoles are at end-of-life and that monies previously accepted from the North Carolina 9-1-1 Board would fund the replacement; the purchase was moved to the consent agenda.

On K-9s, Burchett said one younger canine has health and behavioral issues that make it unsuitable for service. He requested permission to surplus the dog so it can go home with its handler; Burchett noted the county previously accepted an AKC grant that will pay to replace the dog.

Why this matters: The wellness software and console upgrades support emergency-response capacity and staff well-being; the K-9 surplus and replacement address equipment and animal welfare concerns.

All three items were moved to the consent agenda for final action at the regular meeting.