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061021 dept budget meetingJune 10, 2021 Budget Meeting (County Department Presentations) The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met at 6:00 p.m. for a special budget session in the 1909 Randolph County Historic Courthouse Meeting Room, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC. Chairman Darrell Frye, Vice -Chairman David Allen, Commissioners Kenny Kidd, Maxton McDowell, and Hope Haywood were present. Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson, Finance Officer Will Massie, Deputy Clerk Sarah Pack, and Clerk to the Board Dana Crisco. The meeting was livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. County department heads were given the opportunity to present their budget requests. Public Library (LB) Ross Holt, Public Library Director, said he is satisfied with his budget. A small increase was requested for retiree insurance. The request also includes expanded resources for online and audio book rentals. Mr. Holt gave an update on the current operating schedule of the individual library campuses. The Library Summer Reading Program offers kids fun, low-pressure options to stay engaged over the summer, which is especially important to prevent lagging behind. The Mobile Library is back on the road and making visits. The Wade County Library was inspired to create a mobile library after seeing the Randolph County Mobile Library. Mr. Holt reviewed several additional programs hosted by the Library and gave an update on the progress of the museum that is planned for the first floor of the Historic Courthouse. The Library is currently using focus groups and surveys to engage with the community. Commissioner Haywood asked if the grant mentioned in the Library budget is for additional Storywalks. Mr. Holt said yes, it will provide funding to purchase fixtures. Chairman Frye said the Library is one of the best services the County provides to citizens. Child Support Services (CSS) Damon Brown, Child Support Director, thanked Commissioners for their support. He is satisfied with his budget as presented. Veterans Services (VS) Chad Gurley, Veterans Services Director, thanked the Board and his staff for their work during a difficult year. He gave the Veteran's Services mission statement and described some statistical progressions of his department. He is requesting additional funding for advanced training, supplementation of VS programs, computer hardware and software, and for publication and marketing programs. In line with the leadership succession plan, additional funding is being requested for the reclassification of an existing Veteran Service Officer position to a Lead Veteran Service Officer. Mr. Gurley described short- and long-term goals and initiatives for VS. He again thanked his staff and other County and community agencies for their partnership and hard work. Chairman Frye asked if Mr. Gurley was working to get on the agendas of different municipalities. Mr. Gurley said this was in progress. 06/10/21 Social Services (DSS) Tracie Murphy, Social Services Director, said she was excited to talk about work she loves with people she respects and employees she appreciates. She recognized several DSS employees in attendance. The DSS budget request addressed three areas with five positions requested. Three of those positions were social work positions. Ms. Murphy gave statistics regarding child welfare changes over the last several years. Chairman Frye asked how placement for a child is determined. Ms. Murphy said there is a list of less than 40 foster parents in Randolph County. Older children and teenagers and those from juvenile justice are very hard to place. Commissioner McDowell asked if DSS staff is required to stay overnight with children who have not been placed. Ms. Murphy said yes; this may occur at the DSS visitor center or at a hotel. Commissioner McDowell asked if this places staff at risk. Ms. Murphy said that they do everything possible to keep staff safe. Commissioner McDowell asked if children can be placed out -of -county. Ms. Murphy said absolutely; children can even be placed out-of-state. Commissioner McDowell asked if the requested positions will serve situations like this and Ms. Murphy said yes. Commissioner McDowell asked if this problem is created by society. Ms. Murphy said all the issues that existed prior to the pandemic are still there but they've been exacerbated. Commissioner McDowell asked if there are many cases like this where the staff has to supervise children overnight. Ms. Murphy said yes; there are children in this situation right now. DSS staff members are subjected to risks regularly. Commissioner McDowell asked how social workers are recruited. Ms. Murphy said in her time as director, many incentives have been requested in order to support staff recruitment and retention. Chairman Frye asked if there is are qualified candidates for DSS jobs. Ms. Murphy said there has been some success with recruiting and retaining employees. Commissioner McDowell said these potential employees are educated and skilled. Ms. Murphy gave statistical data regarding children in Randolph County. Commissioner McDowell said he knows of a family in Stanly County who is hosting a child from Randolph County. Ms. Murphy said their goal is for a child to be with a family regardless of location. Chairman Frye asked the Medicaid budget for DSS. Ms. Murphy said it was roughly $200 million per year. Ms. Murphy said DSS is a large and complex organization with many moving parts. So much has been accomplished; DSS is a safety net for the community. She thanked the Board for their support. She recognized one of the Social Services Board members in the audience. 06/10/21 Chairman Frye thanked Ms. Murphy for her "get it done" attitude. Commissioner Allen asked how Medicaid transformation will impact the budget. Ms. Murphy said she is not sure; there are changes being made and the effects are not yet known. Commissioner McDowell said due to the type of department DSS is, there will always be a single audit requirement. It's very important that paperwork is correct. Public Health (PH) Tara Aker, Public Health Director, appreciates the support of the Board. PH is requesting an additional $50,000 for the medical examiner (ME) budget line item. Deaths have increased statewide by 16%. This means more cases for the medical examiner; last year there was a 17% increase to the local and state medical examiner. To date, $130,000 has been spent in ME costs for this fiscal year. Commissioner Allen asked how Medicaid transformation will affect PH. Ms. Aker said while the impact is unknown, she doesn't anticipate significant changes. Public Works (PW) Paxton Arthurs, County Engineer, said the PW budget isn't changing much this year. Commissioner Kidd asked what the changes were. Mr. Arthurs said it was for telephones and maintenance at the convenience sites. Soil & Water Conservation District (SW) Jenny Parks, Soil and Water Director, said SW is happy with their budget. Cooperative Extension (CE) Kenny Sherin, County Extension Director, said the CE budget is not changing much this year. CE has many proactive programs that are relaunching since the pandemic. In-person programming is becoming more frequent rather than online programming. Grant money has been acquired from BAND NC. He is proposing to hire an ambassador to promote digital and broadband needs in the county. There is a truck that is over 20 years old that will need replacing at some point. Commissioner Haywood asked about results from a recent broadband survey. Mr. Sherin said more people need to take the survey; more data leads to better funding choices. This would be one of the responsibilities of the ambassador position. Commissioner Haywood said we need to know the broadband needs of the county. Chairman Frye said significant funds for broadband expansion may be available. Planning & Zoning (PZ) There was no representative of PZ in attendance. 06/10/21 Juvenile Day Reporting Center (JDRC) Pam Resch, Juvenile Day Reporting Center Director (JDRC), said her first year as director has been interesting. She recognized some of her staff who were in attendance. Last year a Substance Abuse Counselor position was requested and approved. Ms. Resch gave statistics regarding overdoses in the county. JDRC has attained certification from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding counseling and training for those with substance abuse and addiction issues. This year an additional position is being requested for case management in the form of a Mentor Advocate. She thanked the Board for their work in the Strategic Plan and explained the benefit of this position on the youth in the county. Commissioner Kidd asked if there were volunteers ready to participate in this program. Ms. Resch said yes. Adult Day Reporting Center (ADRC) Julie Alston, Adult Day Reporting Center Director, said everyone has been impacted personally and professionally by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Strategic Plan calls for access to health care by removing barriers. ADRC has found that the biggest barrier to their clients is transportation. The oldest ADRC vehicle is 18 years old and the newest is 13 years old. Each vehicle of the four has over 200,000 miles. Due to the pandemic, the vehicles were not used as much as normal. She is requesting two new vans that are large enough to allow for social distancing and to transport a larger number of clients. For many clients, ADRC provides the only transportation they have access to. Building Inspections (BI) David Bryant, Building Inspections Director, has requested one new position for E -permitting. Services have not slowed down even in a pandemic climate. Commissioner Allen asked about position requests in the past. Mr. Bryant said the needs of BI are evolving, but the E -permitting program has been extremely successful for contractors and he would like to open the program to citizens as well. Commissioner Haywood said her new neighbor has been very complimentary of BI during their building process. Mr. Bryant said it's all about serving citizens. Emergency Services (ES) Donovan Davis, Emergency Services Chief, distributed an annual report to the Board. He briefly highlighted certain aspects of this document (Attachment A). This year's biggest concern is staffing. 911 Telecommunicators work very hard with little opportunity for breaks. Their jobs are critical for the county. The call volume is very large compared to the number of staff currently in the 911 center. Mr. Davis requested four new positions in July and another four in January 2022. These positions are hard to prioritize because they are equally important. In the future, new software programs will be implemented for 911 use. This will require maintenance and an additional system specialist. Additional expectations and requirements from the state have increased the workload on 911 staff. 06/10/21 Mr. Davis said it is difficult to recruit and retain paramedics for a variety of reasons. This puts paramedic staffing at a critical level. Mr. Davis detailed several capital outlay requests, including two ambulances in addition to the two already included in the Manager's Proposed Budget. This request, however, is not critical at this time. Commissioner Allen asked how Medicaid transformation will affect ES. Mr. Davis said the effect is unknown but it will likely be a nightmare. Animal Services (AS) Jonathan Moody, Animal Control Manager, said that AS is satisfied with the budget. A new animal cruelty vehicle is being requested. Mr. Moody's truck will rotate into the fleet, retiring an older vehicle currently in use. There is also a new mobile rabies program that will allow vaccinations in the community. Chairman Frye asked if there are a lot of rabies cases in the county. Mr. Moody said there were three foxes in Archdale that were rabid. Commissioner McDowell asked if rabies cases were increasing. Mr. Moody said not really; usually there are 3-4 cases a year. There is a lot of construction going on right now that is disrupting natural habitats. Commissioner Kidd asked how staffing is going. Mr. Moody said Animal Control is very understaffed right now. There are three new employees completing the hiring process currently. Sheriff (SO) Sheriff Greg Seabolt said the only change to his budget is in capital outlay. The SO is in desperate need of vehicles. An order was placed in September 2020 and the vehicles still have not arrived. Right now, the SO has no backup vehicles that can be outfitted for deputies. Chairman Frye asked if the vehicles were approved, when would the SO take possession? Sheriff Seabolt said it depends on when the order is placed but many vehicle manufacturers are behind in production. There is currently one unmarked backup vehicle available. The request is for replacement of 8% of the fleet; vehicles that are over 130,000 miles. Twenty new vehicles are requested. Sheriff Seabolt asked that funds be allocated in July so that orders can be placed as soon as possible. Sheriff Seabolt thanked the Board for their consideration and their services to Randolph County. The SO is working to be good stewards of the taxpayers' money. Chairman Frye said the Board is sensitive to requests for vehicles and they are aware of the needs of departments. 06/10/21 Commissioner Kidd asked what a "CID" vehicle is. Sheriff Seabolt said these are older fleet vehicles used in criminal investigations. They are not generally patrol vehicles. Commissioner McDowell asked if current vehicles would be repurposed for this use and Sheriff Seabolt said yes. Justin Brubaker, Business Manager, said the Sheriff has agreed to use restricted funds to increase funding for undercover programs from $25,000 to $50,000. Chairman Frye asked if there were enough restricted funds to cover this increase. Mr. Brubaker said yes. Chairman Frye said this funding is not part of the standard budget. Chairman Frye asked how staffing is at the Detention Center. Sheriff Seabolt said additional staffing for the entire Detention Center will not be needed for another year while construction continues. There are ten prospective applicants ready and waiting right now. Commissioner McDowell asked if applicants were available. Sheriff Seabolt said there are a lot of good people in the applicant pool. Public Buildings (PB) Robert Cross, Public Buildings Director, said he is happy with his budget. He understands that his requested positions did not make it to the budget, but feels it is important to explain the need. With the additional County facilities in need of maintenance, his crews may be out in the county for half a day on one call. His staff has had to sanitize many buildings that were exposed to COVID-19. The County is growing so much that additional help is needed. He thanked County Administration for their support. Chairman Frye asked if the County will be responsible for different areas of the Northgate Commons complex. Mr. Cross said yes. Commissioner Kidd asked when the last time PB had a staff increase. Mr. Cross said the previous director requested two positions. Commissioner Kidd asked how much the square footage of County -maintained buildings has increased. Mr. Cross said his department handles about 700,000 square feet of building space. This does not include grounds or parking lots. Register of Deeds (ROD) Krista Lowe, Register of Deeds, has no special requests. She thanked the Board for their support. Commissioner Kidd said he's gotten great reports regarding the customer service provided at the ROD and Chairman Frye agreed. Ben Morgan said Randolph County is lucky to have the best ROD around and Ms. Lowe and her staff do a great job. Elections (EL) 06/10/21 Melissa Johnson, Elections Director, said she has arguably the best facility of any elections office in the state, a great staff, and a wonderful Board. 2020 boasted the highest voter turnout in history. She is pleased with their budget. She asked for a small increase to pay early voting workers a little more as Randolph County is behind in compensation compared to other local governments. Chairman Frye said the compensation change is being considered. Ms. Johnson said she felt very supported by the County. Commissioner Kidd asked if the EL facility was closed over the winter. Ms. Johnson said the Elections department was closed to the public by the Board of Elections but there was staff in the office during that time. From the end of January through April 1, the doors were closed to the public. Commissioner Kidd was terribly disappointed that the Elections building was closed to the public. Ms. Johnson invited Commissioner Kidd to a Board of Elections meeting. Tax TX Debra Hill, Tax Administrator, requested an increase in operating expenses due to an increase in vehicle fee collection at the State level. There will also be an increased request for retiree insurance. Last year, four employees retired and one passed away. This has taken a toll on the staff as those employees took 126 years of service knowledge with them. An additional temporary part-time position is being requested to assist with onboarding new staff and other training initiatives. Commissioner McDowell asked for the longevity of the retirees. Ms. Hill gave data of her employees' longevity. Each employee served the County for an extended period of time. With the Revaluation coming up, it will be challenging to evaluate and complete this process. Commissioner McDowell asked how the staff is handling the workload. Ms. Hill said two new appraisers have been hired but it's been a challenge. Commissioner McDowell asked how new hires are trained. Ms. Hill said it's a combination of other experienced employees and state training requirements. The recruitment process was very difficult and took a year to complete. Information Technolo2y (IT) Michael Rowland, Information Technology Director, said he works closely with the Tax department and Ms. Hill's requests are very valid. Mr. Rowland has requested two additional positions. A security audit was just completed that returned three main areas of concern. In the past, staffing has been an issue that prevents dedication to these areas. One of the requested positions will focus on network security. The second requested position would help take a load off the current Public Safety Specialist who is managing a large workload. Mr. Rowland appreciates the consideration of the two requested positions. Commissioner McDowell asked how secure Mr. Rowland feels about the County IT infrastructure. Mr. Rowland said it's not "if' there will be a security issue, it's "when." Mr. 06/10/21 Rowland said recently, County Manager Hal Johnson successfully avoided a spearfishing attack via email. Human Resources MR) Jill Williams, Human Resources Director, said the goal is to recruit, retain, and develop a workforce for Randolph County. She showed data displaying turnover rates from 2016 to present. Many positions need higher levels of education and training. 86% of County positions have education or experience requirements of applicants. Ms. Williams discussed several initiatives that could aid in developing the County workforce, including leadership development, NEOGOV (an applicant tracking software) for recruitment, and flexible work schedules. Ms. Williams discussed the classification plan used by the County, including cost of living adjustments and merit pay statistics. The County's last classification study was conducted by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council from 2017 to 2019 and the plan remains solid. Merit pay is an effective tool, but unfortunately the merit pool has remained stagnant. Ms. Williams suggested increasing this amount to make merit increases more effective. Ms. Williams gave statistics regarding how many county governments pay dental and 4011 benefits for employees. Human Resources is requesting one Human Resources Technician position to focus on recruitment efforts and manage Family Medical Leave requests. HR has not added a position since 2010. 144 full time positions have been added elsewhere in the County. If this position is added, the current Administrative Assistant position would be classified down as duties are moved to the new Technician positions. Chairman Frye asked if the County is trying to get better at working at home. Ms. Williams said we are working towards that. Chairman Frye said we need to be careful as we serve the public. Ms. Williams said that some generations may expect some flexible work options. Chairman Frye said some people are not as dedicated and disciplined at home. County employees serve the public and are expected to be there. Ms. Williams said some people are not as productive. Supervisors and managers who communicate and are involved with their employees are the keys to success. Commissioner Haywood said that telework is a valid option for positions that aren't public facing and the success lies in the leadership. If employees can demonstrate that work is being completed, it could work. Telework is always something that can be removed if it doesn't work. Ms. Williams said space may become a concern too as more employees are hired. Desk -sharing may be an option to consider with flexible schedule workers as well. Commissioner Haywood said she would like to see the County be flexible. She has worked in a flexible environment that worked very well. The County is in competition for good employees. Commissioner Allen said the hybrid model is becoming more popular. It requires discipline and may not work for every employee. 06/10/21 Chairman Frye said in his experience, efficiency suffers when employees aren't in the office. Administration (AD) Will Massie, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer, said that major administration concerns were addressed by the County Manager in a previous meeting and by Ms. Williams at this meeting. Adjournment At 8:32 p.m., on motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn. Darrell Frye, Chairman Kenny Kidd Hope Haywood David L. Allen Maxton McDowell Sarah Pack, Deputy Clerk to the Board 06/10/21 PAGE 2 RandolphICounty Smix5 with.� Geart m � Heart of North Carolina IIIA Viii Vi s Viii o iiia The department is currently made up of six divisions: Administration 9-1-1 Communications Emergency Management Emergency Medical Services Fire Marshal's Office Technical Services IIII iiia °t Illfii Viii s iiire IIIV o iirt You will see where we have been, where we are, and where we need to be in the future. Additional data is located in the appendices at the end of this document. Position Needs Summa Three Paramedics (included in Managers budget) Four Asst. 911 Supervisors Four Telecommunicators One Fire Plans Examiner One ES System Specialist One Emergency Management Resource Specialist One Deputy Director One Housekeeper PAGE 3 ,NNS III"iiroiirn °tlllfiie Clllfiillef It is my pleasure to present to you the FY2020-21 annual report for the Emergency Services department. I have had the privilege to work for this department for just over 27 years. By far, 2020 has been the most unpredictable and challenging year-to-date. I am very proud of all employees in this department and how they have handled the COVID- 19 pandemic. This document will allow you to gauge the performance of our staff and the services we provide. Page 25 of this document is a summary of our FY2021-22 budget requests. Please, contact me if you have any questions regarding the information contained herein. Sincerely, PonOVa4111 VCwZ:�,- Chief IIIA Viii Vi s Viii iiia The Administrative/Command staff includes: PAGE 4 Donovan Davis, Chief — 27 years of service Jared Byrd, Deputy Chief —1 S years of service Dr. Jason Stopyra, Medical Director — 7 years of service Dr. Brett Dickens, Asst. Medical Director (I year, Fellowship Candidate - Wake Forest Baptist) Lt. Catherine (Kate) Reeder, Office Manager — I year of service Sgt. Dana Gibbs, Medical Records & Guest Services Pat Voncannon, Administrative Assistant (part-time) — 21 years ofservice *71 years of combined service Department Administration L-___] Maj. Keena (Heaton Maj. Bradley Beck 9-1-1 Communications EMS 187 Department Employees FY202'0-21. ]127 F�ulll-Time 60 (Part -Time Maj. Justine Buxton Maj. Christie McCorquodale Maj. Erik Beard Technical Services Emergency Management Fire Marshal Staffing Request One Assistant Director position beginning January 1, 2022, to be responsible for our quality management program, internal affairs, and compliance. $81,413 including benefits ($40,707 six months). One Housekeeper to begin July 1, 2021, to clean the ES headquarters and make minor repairs. To supplement the total cost of a full-time housekeeper we could use the nearly $30,000 from the Maintenance department who currently contracts these services out to a third -party vendor. $40,194 including benefits ($20,097 six months). PAGE 5 Ill iiiii iiia ,�� iiirg iiia iiia iiia iiia Viii °Viii iiiaCenter ii(ECC) IA Viii Vi s Viii iiia The 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center (ECC) management team includes: Keena Heaton, Major —1 S years of service Alan King, Captain — 7 years of service Janet King, Lieutenant — 27 years of service Ashley Garren, Lieutenant —11 years of service Mitch Thomas, Lieutenant — 7 years of service Andrea Sesmas, Lieutenant — S years of service FYPIO�U4 *72 years of combined service M" C9onov nn Davis Chief 187 Department Employees )aired Byrd PY2020-21 Deputy Chief Dr. Jas:on 9-1-1 Communications 1ylldiisll firt¢zr 30 Full -Time 15 Part -Time Keena fµlr'r AII SII,°u Idtliliing �A7511,97ft t ISnu aio- tlnnxrn yfsnlrreari bmoflre'Ihif nFtNfr 4. , Ilsuf CF , ft: Sttt dai rcn NellssolnI I I Sti. IFairron 14fisnndillrIlicNs I II Sgt,, Jamilie IBa lleny I I Sgt. Biralrndoin t4nf1la�1 2020 In Review 2020 was extremely challenging for the 9-1-1 division. Eight full-time employees and one part-time employee ended their employment. Employees left for various reasons, but mainly the stress of the job. Additionally, the Assistant Communications Supervisor was promoted and transferred to another division. This created ten total vacancies during the 2020 calendar year. Since the opening of the 9-1-1 center on March 17, 1993, this number of employees leaving in one calendar year has been extraordinary and unprecedented. Current Staffing Staffing has been at or below critical levels since May 2020 due to employee turnover, sickness, family emergencies, and COVID-19 exposures, requiring full-time employees and 9-1-1 management to work many hours of overtime throughout various times of the past year and into 2021. Example: one week in December 2020, between sick call -outs, employees isolated due to COVID-19 exposures, and FMLA, our 9-1-1 center needed to find coverage for 25 shifts in seven days. We are extremely proud of how our employees have stepped up and continue to step up to these challenges. Nevertheless, a continued burden of multiple overtime shifts per week will eventually take a toll on these team members over an extended period. Due to turnover, our division has been hiring and training around the clock to fill these full and part-time openings. Thankfully, there are no full-time vacancies at the time of this report, and only one emergency intake specialist remains in training. Cross -training new employees has also been a focus during 2020. Initially, most of our new hires learn how to call -take only. They are now learning to dispatch law enforcement, fire, EMS, and rescue units. This places increased pressure on each shift to train and cross -train simultaneously, all while being at critical staffing levels and increased call volume. Call & Dispatch Volume Increases 2020 emergency calls to 9-1-1 reached 98,071. Year Total number of calls to 9-1-1 w,w,w,w,w 2018 93,762 2019 94,640 2020 98,071 Total Incoming Administrative Calls 69,496 Outbound Administrative Calls 59,551 Number of TTY Calls (deaf & hard -of -hearing) 82 Number of Text Calls to 9-1-1 189 Average Answer Time less than 3 seconds 97.76% of the time There were 227,289 total telephone transactions in 2020. Nearly 70,000 calls are radio dispatched each year to law enforcement, fire, EMS, and rescue services in Randolph County. Our 9-1-1 staff performs numerous tasks for field agencies, as well as monitors and documents every move they make and every task they complete. The numbers above do not reflect the number of field -initiated calls, traffic stops, warrant inquiries, stolen vehicle inquiries/entries, missing or wanted person inquiries/entries, telephone calls, contacting wrecker companies, on- call Hospice, DSS or Public Health, etc..., that are initiated by officers in the field and must be completed by the Telecommunicator. Telecommunicators are also responsible for activating Amber, Silver, and Blue alerts. The Randolph County 9-1-1 center went live on the ESInet platform on August 3, 2020. We were the first center in the NC to be fully i3 compliant. This means that our center is capable of receiving text messages to 9-1-1 (since 2015), and we will soon be capable of receiving video and pictures via the 9-1-1 system from callers. Our automatic location identification (ALI) road to centerline match rate is above the required 98%. We are at 99.77%. PAGE 7 There are eight Telecommunicators on -duty per shift during peak hours (noon -midnight) and at other times there are only six on -duty per shift (midnight -noon). The last time staff was added to this division was in 2018. Additional Staff Needed Without Delay Going forward, we desperately need to add eight positions in this division to cover the increased pressure of answering calls and providing the support that our field agencies require. At the same time, we need to re-classify four positions to become Assistant Shift Supervisors who will take over management of the center in the absence of the Shift Supervisor, as well as monitoring on-the-job training, and monitoring the work of the shift to make corrections as needed. We have bright young employees who are eager to learn but mastering everything that this job entails takes a tremendous amount of time. Each supervisor needs to be able to monitor the live calls being taken and dispatched, giving them the ability to make necessary corrections and be available to provide immediate guidance. Unfortunately, as the call volume increases without additional staff, location accuracy, dispatch times, and the overall excellent level of service, which our citizens and visitors of the County expect, will become compromised and mistakes will be made. 1- Staffing e uet For the FY2021-22 budget, we are requesting the addition of eight positions for the 9-1-1 Center. As indicated above, call volume has increased significantly since the last time positions were added in 2018. Furthermore, it is necessary to have four of those positions classified as Assistant Shift Supervisors to assist in the daily shift operations. Total cost of four Assistant Shift Supervisors — to begin July 1, 2021 - Including benefits $261,076 Total cost of four Telecommunicators — to begin January 1, 2022 - Including benefits $113,544 Total request for the FY2021-22 budget is $374,620 *Using formulas developed by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public -Safety Communication Officers (APCO), combined with our call -volume and dispatch volume/requirements, we should have ten (10) Telecommunicators on -duty per shift in our center 2417. That would be a total of 40 positions. We currently have 28 full-time positions in the center, plus the Major & Captain. If the eight positions above are approved, we would still need four additional positions to reach 40. IlErn&rgeIllncy II In g e Ilr ,�� Illnt IIIA Viii Vi s Viii olln The Emergency Management team includes: Christie McCorquodale, Major — 21 years of service Evan Grady, Captain — S years of service at Emergency Services / 10 years at RC Public Health *36 years of combined service PAGE 8 Donovan Davis 187 Department Employees Ch I FY2020-21 Emergency Management 2 Full -Th Jared Maj. Owistie McCorqii,jodale CIpt.E n Grady The year 2020 was an exceptional year for everyone involved in Emergency Services. Along with natural and man-made disasters, we also had a change in management. On February 3, 2020, Christie McCorquodale moved from the 9-1-1 Communications division into the Emergency Management Coordinator position as Jared Byrd moved up as Deputy Director of the department. At the same time, our department was monitoring the situation of the developing COVID-19 pandemic. Then three days later our county received significant severe weather. On February 6, 2020, our county experienced an ESF2 Tornado, moving across the northeastern part of our community. Estimated total damage/cleanup was $419,000.00. The Town of Liberty alone filed for FEMA reimbursement due to damage sustained and cleanup costs at just over $13,000. In total, our County would see three major severe weather events during 2020. PAGE 9 Randolph County Emergency Management had 34 responses throughout the year, in addition to the pandemic. The top 5 call natures include; Accident/PI — 14, Hazmat — 5, Hazmat/Flammable Gas — 2, Missing Person — 2, and Fire (Commercial) — 1. Our drone program was requested by law enforcement and fire departments several times over the year. This included searching for missing persons and utilizing our FLIR camera to show hot spots at a major commercial fire. We assisted Chatham County by loaning their Emergency Management and 9-1-1 center five laptops when they were targeted by a cyber -attack. _...��..._ COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 has proven to be not only the longest -lasting event for our county but also the most challenging. Public Health moved into the Randolph County EOC, March 17, 2020, and remained there until the first week of February 2021. Due to the heavy volume of contact tracing, in the beginning, this pandemic proved to be multi -faceted as it evolved. Emergency Management met daily with Public Health for updates as well as weekly conference calls with State Emergency Management to voice concerns that our county was having. This has not been just a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, problem. Countless hours of overtime and working remotely was extremely difficult. Emergency Management secured hundreds of facemasks, alcohol swabs, face shields, gloves, gowns, foot covers, as well as other essential personal protective equipment (PPE) needed during the early stages of the pandemic. EMS, Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, County Departments, and the Detention Center were given this equipment for staff to use when coming face-to-face with the public. Our staff took receipt of "Push -Packs" handed out by the State for every long-term facility and group home within our borders and delivered them accordingly. Since September of 2020, PPE has grown increasingly easier to obtain through our regular providers, however still at times, it is challenging. During December, we worked closely with Public Health to start preparing for the upcoming vaccine distributions. Many questions would go unanswered for a while. The State's framework and information were changing day-to-day. Utilizing Flu -Pandemic planning as a model, EM mapped two different locations to utilize for mass vaccination events. As the vaccine rolled into the county, EM staff assisted with contacting and documenting information from all Phase la and lb eligible people wanting the vaccine. A spreadsheet was kept by EM and sent to Public Health daily and then uploaded into the CVMS system. From there Public Health could schedule the appointments. The first of these vaccination events would occur at Randolph County Public Health, giving them the ability to vaccinate a large number of people in one day in a drive-through style clinic. They have continued these clinics daily, Monday through Friday. EM has maintained a presence along with EMS Paramedics working overtime at these clinics to assist Public Health with traffic and monitoring of patients after their vaccine has been administered. We were strongly engaged in the mass -vaccination clinics held at the NC Zoo. Hundreds of citizens have been vaccinated since that first clinic and we have had phenomenal, positive feedback from the public in this respect. PAGE 10 Ira McDowell Complex Vaccination Clinic Needs Throughout the year, issues have come up that were challenging to handle with just two employees assigned to Emergency Management. As the population grows, major highways are built, and industries become stronger in our county, the need for an additional EM staff member becomes evident. Our division is responsible for maintaining many pieces of major equipment and knowing what other resources are available both within and outside our borders. This additional staff member, an Emergency Management Resource Specialist, would be responsible for inventory, continued maintenance, and deployment of our equipment, as well as seeking and developing relationships needed through the state for additional resources. Having someone to dedicate their time to planning for all hazards and knowing what equipment would be needed will alleviate some of the burdens from the two current staff. Emergency Management is built on a whole -community philosophy. The additional staff member would also assist to build a robust public education program. This will allow us to make our presence known to the community and work closely with individuals and businesses to help them build their preparedness and resiliency. Every asset maintained by the EM division is mostly used and/or requested by another agency. Through maintenance and use, we have seen a decline in our assets due to being stored outside in the weather. Our Electronic Message Board requires new tires, and because of being exposed to the weather, the weather stripping around the window has come loose and needs replacing. Our light towers need painting and are showing signs of deterioration. One of them is only approximately two years old. We store two smaller generators in a shed behind the main headquarters. Our larger mobile generators are stored outside. The Honda UTV is stored in the ambulance bay and takes up space needed by EMS. When PPE supplies were delivered, EM would have to go to the County Maintenance building because they are the only department with the capability of unloading heavy freight. Once that freight was unloaded, it was hand loaded into a truck and moved to headquarters for storing in a small closet off of the EOC. All EM equipment and supplies are scattered throughout the building and the Maintenance department's secure parking lot at the old County Rest Home. It is important for upkeep and inventory reasons to house these items together inside a building that is climate controlled. A need for a building is important to preserve the life of the equipment. Constructing a warehouse -style building in the vicinity of headquarters would give EM the ability to keep an accurate inventory of equipment, test the equipment regularly, all in one common space. Close proximity to headquarters will give staff the ability to locate, load, and respond quickly when needed. FY2021-22 Staffing Request PAGE 11 Traffic Accident involving two Tractor Trailers carrying a load of highly sought-after toilet paper, due to the pandemic. Eastern Randolph Rd. & US Hwy 64 E. 1/6/2020 ESF2 Tornado damage. Ramseur Julian Rd. & Old Liberty Rd. area. 02/06/2020 One Emergency Management Resource Specialist to begin July 1, 2021. Total cost including benefits will be $69,433. IlErnergency WleViii IIII SerVices Ill iiiii IIII IIIAViii Vii ViiiOiiia The EMS management team includes: Bradley Beck, Major —18 years ofservice Brad Cooper, Captain — 13 years of service Training Coordinator, Lieutenant — Vacant Amy Byrd, Sergeant — Logistics Coordinator — 9 years of service Raphael Beech, Lieutenant — 25 years of service Steven Staley, Lieutenant — 24 years of service Ryan Hunter, Lieutenant — 20 years of service Mary Clark, Lieutenant — 15 years of service Crystal Pate, Sergeant —16 years of service Jason Burgess, Sergeant —10 years of service Corey Lee, Sergeant — 7 years of service Todd Stewart, Sergeant — 7 years of service *164 years of combined service Donovan Dduh Chief Mired Byrd Deputy Chief IN. aasm,n sto,pp yira NIIefflrall Director IUu . Brett Dickens Asst. IMedicA [)iirce.r..pw�r L�� Ipt, Brad Cooper "zga Arany iRyulll Wi4t:6lMlllr Il ru&'flf r R:.ax mfl!!InWod h:re�dj.ud•mRurnu7l f;: a;anirmpsllimoina�a, PAGE 12 187 Department Employees Fy2020-21 II V IRasphar'll R4'ei:fil IUR. Ir"yaeri Ir "InUe,r d'4 IR"wr*rr Yk lley V V (Maly Paadr A Shiif'd. II. a rollID Slluiift EMS 844 Full -Time 45Pare-Time As you can see above, the EMS division has four branches: Emergency Medical Response, Community Paramedicine (currently unfunded), Education & Compliance, and Morgue Operations. PAGE 13 Emergency Medical Operations The Emergency Medical Operations service area (branch) is the primary area in this division. Nine staffed ambulances are serving Randolph County 24/7 covering all municipal jurisdictions within. EMS bases are located in Archdale, Asheboro, Erect, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Trinity, and Uwharrie. Two ambulances respond out of our headquarters located in Asheboro. All other bases have one ambulance each. The Emergency Services department is responsible for the county -wide EMS system and all of the EMTs who practice within the borders of the county. This includes over 400 firefighters/basic EMTs and Medical Responders, NC Zoo basic EMT Rangers, Ash -Rand Rescue and EMS basic and Advanced -EMTs, Piedmont Triad Ambulance and Rescue basic and Advanced EMTs, and the Paramedics who work part-time in the Emergency Department at Randolph Health. The annual call volume for EMS increases each year. The last time ambulances were added to our response service was in 2015 and 2016 when the Uwharrie and Erect ambulances were added to cover the southern portions of the county. Future additional ambulances will need to be positioned in the areas of Archdale/Trinity, Randleman/Climax, and the US Hwy 64 W / Old NC Hwy 49 corridor, to improve response times and handle the increased demand for service. Each call takes an average of two hours from start to finish. Annual Response Call -Volume 21 22,985 849 23,197 23,352 Community Paramedicine The Community Paramedicine program is currently unfunded. Once the new Medicaid regulations become effective in July 2021, it will likely be necessary to fund this program to receive 100% Medicaid reimbursement on all Medicaid services we provide. Additional information will be provided to you later this year. Although this program is not currently funded, we have used our off-duty paramedics to provide limited services such as following up with overdose patients who may want to seek advanced rehab assistance and/or providing them with resources such as Narcan kits and other alternatives. Most recently, our paramedics are assisting Public Health in observation after vaccination and administering COVID-19 vaccinations. Education & Compliance The Education & Compliance service area provides education oversight, program direction, and certification compliance for all EMTs and Medical Responders, at all certification levels, countywide, as well as Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs), Emergency Management certifications, and Firefighter medical certifications. There are over 700 certified responders practicing in Randolph County. 24 to 12 -Hour Conversion Remaining Staff Request Three Paramedic positions are required to complete the 24 to 12 -hour conversion. Total cost including benefits is $201,981. Included i the Managers s recommended budget to the Board. COVID-19 Response We are extremely proud of our EMS staff and how they've handled the response to COVID-19. For nearly one year, they have been face-to-face with positive patients. They have been given new responsibilities of further disinfecting the ambulances, medical and personal protective equipment. They have done a great job protecting themselves and others. Between February 1, 2020, and March 15, 2021, EMS encountered 1,248 patients who were positive or potentially positive based on symptoms. PAGE 14 Our Paramedics, EMTs and other staff have assisted Public Health since the onset, but especially since they began the daily vaccination clinics and the mass -vaccination clinics. Paramedics are authorized to administer the vaccine, and all along they have been providing medical observation after the vaccine has been administered to each person. Morgue Operations The Randolph County morgue opened in March 2018. Since then, we have had over 550 decedents, as of February 15, 2021, and we continue to see a significant increase of around 25% each year. Morgue operations are extremely time-consuming and arduous. It includes coordinating with law enforcement, local medical examiners, the State medical examiner, transport agencies, and funeral homes. We communicate and coordinate with the decedent's next-of-kin to assist them in making final arrangements. We average ten unclaimed decedents per year. "Unclaimed" means that we have not been unable to locate a legal next-of-kin after ten days or, in most cases, the next-of-kin refuses to take responsibility. Arrangements for unclaimed decedents are coordinated with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and/or the State Medical Examiner. Cases deemed outside of the medical examiner's jurisdiction require DSS to make and pay for the final arrangements of the decedent (cremation $500). Cases that fall within the jurisdiction of the medical examiner are arranged by and paid for by the State. When the case falls within the jurisdiction of the medical examiner, Randolph County (Public Health) pays $200 per case to the local Medical Examiner. We currently have four local medical examiners (Paramedics) who work an on-call schedule. Approximately 20% of the 550+ cases are not medical examiner cases. Sometimes a decision cannot be made as to which funeral home will be selected at the time of death, or we are unable to reach the personal physician to confirm s/he will sign the death certificate. To expedite law enforcement and EMS returning to service quickly, we will often intake the decedent until funeral arrangements can be made. Public Health and the Register of Deeds are responsible for final death certification (certificates). As you can see, Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, DSS, Public Health, and the Register of Deeds are regularly involved in morgue operations. In medical examiner cases that require an autopsy, half of the cost for the autopsy is charged to Randolph County Public Health. III '° Viii Illre IIII Illrs Ilhli IIII's Office IIIA Viii Vi s Viii D In The Fire Marshal's team includes: Erik Beard, Major — Fire Marshal — 7 years of service Lee Hinson, Captain — Deputy Fire Marshal — S years of service Michael Pittman, Fire Inspector III — 22 years of service Bernard Needham, Fire Inspector III — 6 years of service James Hyler, Fire Inspector III — S years of service *45 years of combined service Overview PAGE 15 Donovan, Davis Chief 187 Department Employees FY2020-21 Jared Byrd Fire Marshal's Office Deputy Chief 5 Full-T'iime Nlaj. IEi illy: Bmraird Fire If9lairshal CIpt. I-ee Ill linsini m DerPlrmty Rre Il airslhaI Mike Ills'ittrrmain Bernard Needlmn laiirrses IHyll4r i-mireIlVrsnpm ctoir 1 1 lire lirmsmprmsN'-ire INrssp m tm r IIIIIV The Fire Inspections Division of Emergency Services currently consists of five employees: Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal, and three Fire Inspectors and are state -mandated positions. The responsibilities of the division include: conducting inspections within 1,893 commercial occupancies, churches, schools, daycare facilities, and foster homes, providing detailed plan review of all new commercial construction, issuing fire prevention permits, performing origin and cause investigations of fires and explosions, conducting fire and life safety classes and providing operational and logistical support to our County's 22 fire departments. All five employees within the division are Level III Fire Safety Inspectors (the highest certification in NC). Two of our inspectors hold advanced plan review certifications. All employees within the division are certified NC Level II Firefighters and are NC Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Four of our five are Certified Fire Investigators (CFI). In addition to the certifications listed above, several of our employees currently hold various specialty certifications such as vehicle fire investigator, fire instructor, evidence collection technician, expert witness certification, and fire safety educator, to name a few. PAGE 16 Inspections In 2020, the division performed 2,432 inspections. Of these, 1,869 inspections were routine fire prevention inspections and follow-ups. The remaining 563 were directly related to new commercial construction/renovations and the issuance of permits for activities such as sprinkler/alarm installations, blasting/drilling operations, and above and below ground tank installations/removals. Our division has experienced a significant increase in new construction/permit-related inspections over the past seven (7) years as outlined in the graphs below. Coin stirucdoin/Peirinnit Coin tiru c-floirn/ Peirirnlit IRellated l irn l-floirn IRellated l irn l-floirn 600 600 400 40 200 200 0 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2014 2016 2018 2020 Due to the highly specialized and technical nature of these types of inspections, it would be extremely beneficial to have one inspector assigned to them. The inspector currently assigned to construction and permit -related inspections is also assigned to one of our regular inspection zones and it has become increasingly difficult for him to perform the required number of assigned routine inspections within his zone. A request for funding for a Fire Plans Examiner position was made beginning with the 2019-2020 fiscal year but was not approved. This position would be consistent with other jurisdictions comparable to Randolph County and remains a crucial need for our division. Investigations Our division responded to 89 requests for the origin and cause investigations in 2020 resulting in over 1,800 man- hours dedicated to fire investigations. Of the 89 origin & cause investigations performed, 51 were determined to be accidental, 19 were determined to be intentionally set, and 19 were undetermined. As of 1/31/2021, four of the intentionally set fire cases have resulted in criminal charges, four have been closed due to lack of evidence/leads, and eleven have been turned over to the Randolph County Sheriffs Office for further investigation. The following graph reflects the division's origin & cause investigation activity over the past seven years. PAGE 17 iriglh & CauseIlirnv-flgatbirn 120 100 60 40 20 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Fatal uuuuuAccidental imIntentional m Undetermined Our five (5) year anticipatory plan for this area of our division identifies a need for one (1) full-time sworn fire investigator to ease the stress on RCSO investigators and to create a more effective and efficient process for county fire investigations. Fire & Life Safety Education This area provides fire & life safety educational programs and materials to a variety of targeted age groups within our county. We currently have two employees certified as NC Fire & Life Safety Educators. Programs are offered and routinely conducted at daycare and pre-school facilities, as well as presentations for our senior citizens. Fire Extinguisher training is conducted at several businesses throughout the county. Many of these programs are conducted in conjunction with our fire departments. In 2021, our division distributed and/or installed over 100 smoke detectors at no charge to our citizens. A request for funding to purchase a digital fire extinguisher training simulator is included in the 2021-2022 fiscal budget. Fire Department & Rescue Support As our County's fire departments continue to struggle with the recruitment and retention of volunteers, our division has recognized the need to assist the departments with emergency operations. Our personnel routinely responds with bre departments to provide additional manpower. Ongoing research is being conducted by our division to best address this problem and provide a sustainable solution for the fire service. A separate "Fire - Rescue" division of Emergency Services is currently being considered as a possible solution to this ongoing problem. Our five-year plan also identifies a need for a professional study of the effectiveness and efficiency of our county's entire fire service along with a dedicated county employee to serve as a liaison/training officer to assist fire departments with ISO requirements and inspections, and to make training more efficient and effective countywide. PAGE 18 Fire Inspections Five -Year Strategic Plan FY 2021-2022 • Add one full-time Fire Plans Examiner to begin July 1, 2021 - $73,391 (including benefits) • Public Education Matching Grant - $5,000 (match) FY 2022-2023 • FM Vehicle Replacement - $60,000 SCBA Replacement - $55,000 Upgrade inspection/incident reporting software - $50,000 FY2023-2024 • FM Vehicle Replacement - $60,000 • Turn -Out Gear Replacement - $20,000 • Investigation Equipment Replacement - $15,000 FY 2024-2025 • Full-time Sworn Fire Investigator Position - $75,000 (including benefits/estimated) Vehicle & Equipment for Investigator - $75,000 County Fire Service Efficiency Study - $85,000 FY 2025-2026 • FM Vehicle Replacement - $60,000 • Full-time Fire Department Liaison/Training Officer - $72,000 (including benefits) • Implementation of a structured Arson Task Force - $20,000 PAGE 19 III ll iirDIposeIII ° liii iiire IIII iiia s III A °tiii D iiia III ° e Sdhieddle Since its inception in the early 1990s, The Fire Marshal's Office has provided permit, consultation, and plans inspection services free of charge to contractors and the like. Randolph County is one of only a few counties in the state that does not charge for these services. With the ever-increasing demand for services, we are requesting the Board to review the proposed fee schedule below. Fee collections would be handled at Central Permitting as contractors pay for other building permits. Our Fire Inspectors spend many hours conducting these specialized plan reviews and inspections outside of the required annual facility inspection schedule of each business, church, and school. There will be no charge for annual facility inspections. Included within the fee schedule, we have incorporated violation penalties that are necessary when we have issues of non-compliance. Chief Davis will await direction from the Chairman as to whether this proposed fee schedule should be formally presented at a future Commissioner's meeting for consideration and adoption. More detailed information would be provided at said meeting. Proposed fee schedule located on the next page. PAGE 20 Randolph County Fire Inspections - Proposed Fee Schedule Automatic Sprinkler Systems/Standpipe Permit *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits and acceptance testing: up to 10,000 sq.ft. $100.00 10,001 -100,000 sq.ft. $200.00 +100,001 sq.ft. $300.00 Fire Alarm Systems Permit $100.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits and acceptance testing + $2.00 per device Fixed Fire Suppression Systems Permit $100.00 *Includes plan review consultations, site visits and acceptance testing Fireworks Display $75.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, and pre -shoot inspection Explosive Materials/Blasting $75.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits AGST/UST Installation (per tank) $50.00 *Includes plan review, consultations and acceptance testing AGST/UST Removal (per tank) $50.00 *Includes plan review, consultations and removal inspection/monitoring Tents/Canopies/Air Supported Structures (per structure) $50.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits and final inspection Special Amusement Buildings $50.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits and final inspection Carnivals, Fairs, Exhibits $50.00 *Includes plan review, consultations, site visits and final inspection All other mandatory permits required by the NC Fire code not listed above $50.00 "Permit fee charges shall be doubled if work commences before obtaining a permit" General Non -Compliance Violations (per violation at first re -inspection) $50.00 General Non -Compliance Violations (per violation second/subsequent re -inspections) $100.00 Life Safety Violations (locked/blocked exits, overcrowding, etc.) — initial occurrence $250.00 PAGE 21 Fire Inspection Fee Schedule Comparison Permit Type Randolph Davidson Moore Alamance Chatham Greensboro Proposed Sprinkler System $100.00- $100.00- $100.00 $50.00- $250.00 $125.00 $300.00 $400.00 plus $0.50 per $500.00 $100 plan depending on depending on sprinkler head depending on review$75 hydro test building size building size building size $75 acceptance test Fire Alarm System $100.00 $75.00 $100.00 $50.00- $175.00 $125.00 +2.00 per device plus $0.50 per $500.00 $100 plan device depending on review $75 building size acceptance test Fixed Fire $100.00 $75.00 $100.00 $100.00 $75.00 $75.00 Suppression System Fireworks Display $75.00 $75.00 $150.00 $150.00 $50.00 Varies per display size Explosive $75.00 $75.00 $150.00 $100.00 $150.00 $125.00 Materials/Blasting AGST/UST $50.00 $100.00 $150.00 $100.00 $150.00 $100.00 Installation (per tank) (per tank) (per tank) AGST/UST Removal $50.00 $75.00 $100.00 $100.00 $150.00 $100.00 (per tank) (per tank) (per tank) Tents/Canopies/Air $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00- $50.00 $75.00 Supported Structures (per structure) (per structure) $100.00 depending on tent size Special Assemblies $50.00 $25.00 Varies $75.00 $75.00 Varies per per event event All other mandatory $50.00 - - - - - permits required by Fire Code not listed above IIIFe lhi Iln Viii IIIIelr Vii e IIIA Viii Vi � Iii °. i Dllln The Technical Services team includes: Justine Buxton, Major — 22 years of service Jonathan Bell, Captain — 6 years of service Larry W. Hicks, Jr., Technical Specialist (part-time) — S years ofservice at Emergency Services & 15 years at the Sheri's Office *33 years of combined service Donovan avi PAGE 22 187 Department Employees Chief F1f202'Q-21 Technical Services Jared Byrd 2 Full -Time l p uty Chief 1 Part-T'ime Maj. JUstine BU toiru 'pt. Jonathan Bell 1-airiry II iir,llll , ir. Tedhi i&l S eciNallllist The Emergency Services Technical Services Division is a two full-time and one part-time staffed division supporting the 24-hour operations of Randolph County EMS, 9-1-1 Communications, the Fire Marshal's Office, Emergency Management, and ES Administration. This division is the primary NC VIPER radio network administrator for all of Randolph County's public safety agencies. The Technical Services division manages Randolph County's 9-1-1 telephone and radio systems. We perform difficult technical work planning, administering, and overseeing all technology operations for the Emergency Services Department, maintaining various hardware and software applications, providing technical support and training to users, installing and upgrading information systems, preparing and maintaining files and records, and related work. PAGE 23 2020 Summary Highlights • Randolph County Technical Services Division supported the technology needs of a fully operational COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for most of the 2020 calendar year. Supported ES users as they worked from home. • Planned and successfully implemented NextGen ESInet 9-1-1 phone system. Supported nine (9) additional ES employees than the previous year. • Programmed and updated software on 1,400 radios for various Public Safety Agencies in Randolph County. • Increased the cellular connectivity in the ES Headquarters facility in support of COVID-19 EOC operations. Upgraded backup 9-1-1 center computers. • Launched a countywide Interoperability Communications Project involving all Randolph County Fire Departments. 2021 and beyond o Upgrade the 9-1-1 radios at the backup center. o Update 2000+ Public Safety radios with new programming annually. o Support additional users as the department continue to grow. o Implementing the ES Technical Services Unit — a vehicle capable of providing a mobile radio and telephony network and connectivity system to support field operations. o Additional NC VIPER radio tower in the Randleman/Level Cross/Climax area. o Implement replacement for county -wide Public Safety emergency radio paging system. 0 9-1-1 Backup Center remodel to meet NC 9-1-1 Board legislative requirements. o Add one additional full-time Technical Services staff member. FY2021-22 Staffing Request For the FY2021-22 budget, we are requesting the addition of one Emergency Services System Specialist to begin July 1, 2021. The cost, including benefits, will be $65,037. (six months $32,519) PAGE 24 Ill hili iiir ,�� iiirg iiia ,�� iiir Viice s Surnmary of I ° X202 III u gt IIRequests Staffing Requests *All totals include benefits ❑ Three (3) Paramedics (start July 1, 2021) (included in Managers budget) $201,981 ❑ Four (4) 9-1-1 Assistant Shift Supervisors (start July 1, 2021) $261,076 ❑ Four (4) 9-1-1 Telecommunicators (start January 1, 2022) $113,544 ❑ One (1) Fire Plans Examiner (start July 1, 2021) $72,391 ❑ One (1) Emergency Services System Specialist (start July 1, 2021) $65,037 ❑ One (1) Emergency Management Resource Specialist (start July 1, 2021) $69,433 ❑ One (1) Assistant Chief (start January 1, 2022) $40,707 ❑ One (1) Housekeeper (start July 2021) $40,194 Total Requested $622,188 Capital Outlay Requests ❑ Two (2) ambulance replacements (in addition to the two included in the Non -Capital Requests ❑ EMS stab/bullet vests (qty 100) $50,000 ❑ EMS protection jumpsuits/helmets (replacements) OSHA required $50,000 Total Requested $100,000 Manager's recommended budget to the Board) $500,000 ❑ One (1) EMS Supervisor replacement vehicle $65,000 ❑ Two (2) SUV replacement vehicles $110,000 ❑ Mobile/Portable radio replacements (EOL issued)* $447,796 ❑ Add VIPER radio tower (Randleman/Climax/Level Cross area) * $1,500,000 ❑ Computer -Aided Dispatch Touch Software for all agencies $69,414 Total Requested $2,692,210 Minus * Costs $744,414 Non -Capital Requests ❑ EMS stab/bullet vests (qty 100) $50,000 ❑ EMS protection jumpsuits/helmets (replacements) OSHA required $50,000 Total Requested $100,000 III A III iiirbr e hint Plihihrnary Cantacts Administration Donovan Davis, Chief (336) 301-6748 cell (336) 318-6943 office Jared Byrd, Deputy Chief (336) 301-6580 cell (336) 318-6913 office 9-1-1 Communications Keena Heaton, Major (336) 301-6036 cell (336) 318-6942 office Emergency Management Christie McCorquodale (336) 301-6359 cell (336) 318-6944 office Alan King, Captain (336) 803-5399 cell (336) 318-6891 office Evan Grady, Captain (336) 870-3531 cell (336) 318-6978 office Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Bradley Beck, Major Brad Cooper, Captain (336) 483-1584 cell (336) 465-4851 cell (336) 318-6921 office (336) 318-6945 office Fire Marshal's Office Erik Beard, Major - Fire Marshal (336) 483-1576 cell (336) 318-6946 office Lee Hinson, Captain - (336) 964-1656 cell (336) 318-6917 office Technical Services Justine Buxton, Major Jonathan Bell, Captain (336) 301-6481 cell (336) 302-6034 cell (336) 318-6912 office (336) 318-6908 office Deputy Fire Marshal PAGE 25 Appendix A 9-1-1 Communications Center Data January 1 — December 31, 2020 PAGE 26 189 Text Sessions to 9-1-1 (average = eight minutes total per text call / ten messages per call back & forth) 75,107 calls were from a wireless device (cell phones) 9,904 calls were from a traditional landline 7,225 calls were Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) 78 calls were TTY/TDD (deaf and hard -of -hearing) 69,496 Administrative incoming calls (ten -digit non -emergency lines) 59,551 Outbound calls made on behalf of field agencies Total Telephone Transactions = 227,289 There were over four million radio transmissions to and from the 9-1-1 Center in 2020. Average Law Enforcement Dispatch = 1 min 58 secs Average EMS Dispatch Time = 1 min 48 secs Average Fire Dispatch Time = 1 min 39 secs *Dispatch time from the time 9-1-1 rings until the call is assigned to afield agency/unit. Amwer di 9 1 978 Abandte,fd edt 6.993 Abailidd,onedd 0°6 6,21107 U'nparse,dd Vii' Text S ssims 189 IT -1167 .f Average Idper Day 268; Aaiswerewl ltd 97,761% Answered 15 99 35% Aiisw eredd 5 2'0 99 69"N Answered s 40 99 9 5 NJ [Average, Ali swer Berri 4.51 WRLS 7"1017, W 7,225 TL A, & otdr r 219 No Class of Sery oce 5,806 PAGE 26 189 Text Sessions to 9-1-1 (average = eight minutes total per text call / ten messages per call back & forth) 75,107 calls were from a wireless device (cell phones) 9,904 calls were from a traditional landline 7,225 calls were Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) 78 calls were TTY/TDD (deaf and hard -of -hearing) 69,496 Administrative incoming calls (ten -digit non -emergency lines) 59,551 Outbound calls made on behalf of field agencies Total Telephone Transactions = 227,289 There were over four million radio transmissions to and from the 9-1-1 Center in 2020. Average Law Enforcement Dispatch = 1 min 58 secs Average EMS Dispatch Time = 1 min 48 secs Average Fire Dispatch Time = 1 min 39 secs *Dispatch time from the time 9-1-1 rings until the call is assigned to afield agency/unit. Appendix B EMS Data January 1 — December 31, 2020 Cardiac Arrest - Saves 31 CPR saves/ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) 26 CPR/ROSC maintained pulses for 20+ minutes TOTAL 57 Average Chute Time = 1 min 10 secs. State requirement 90 secs. From dispatch to enroute Average Response Time = 10 mins 11 secs. From enroute to arrived on scene Average On -Scene Time = 17 mins 57 secs. From arrived on -scene until departed for hospital or canceled. Average Total Call Time = 57 mins 4 secs. From dispatch to call complete Average Turn Around Time = 20 mins 12 secs. Patient handover at the hospital until ambulance ready for service (after cleaning/restock) Hospital Transport Destinations (not an inclusive list) Alamance Regional 33 Brenner's Childrens Hospital 20 Carolina's Med Center Charlotte — Atrium 5 Chatham — UNC 313 Department of Corrections — Central Prison 1 Duke 11 Durham VA 1 First Health — Troy 4 First Health — Moore Regional 28 Forsyth Medical 15 High Point Regional — UNC 2,594 High Point Regional — Cath Lab 18 Kernersville Medical Center 1 Lexington Memorial — Novant 9 PAGE 27 Moses Cone — Cath Lab 4 Moses Cone 1,446 Med Center — High Point 10 Randolph Health 5,704 Rex Hospital — Raleigh 1 Randolph County Morgue 162 Stanly Regional 1 Thomasville Medical Center 426 UNC -Chapel Hill 8 Salisbury VA 1 Wake Forest Baptist 65 Wake Medical Center — Raleigh 1 Wesle Long 281 Women's Hospital — Greensboro 8 Busiest Day of the Week (highest to lowest number of calls per day) Friday, Thursday, Monday & Tuesday (tied), Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday Busiest Hour of the Day = 3:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 10:00 a.m., 8:00 p.m. Total Responses in 2020 = 23,352 Total Responses in 2019 = 23,197 Total Responses in 2018 = 22,849 Total Responses in 2017 = 22,985 Total Responses in 2016 = 21,387 PAGE 28 Appendix C Fire Service Data January 1 — December 31, 2020 Total Number of Calls Dispatched Asheboro Fire Department 5,027 = 23,044 LibertyFire Department 1,022 Bennett Fire Department 123 Total Calls Dispatched in 2018 = New Hope Fire Department 125 Climax Fire Department 823 20,960 Ramseur Fire Department 352 Coleridge -Erect Fire Department 373 *Declined in 2020 from 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Randleman Fire Department 2,160 East Side Fire Department 1,089 Seagrove Fire Department 583 Fair Grove Fire Department 668 Staley Fire Department 626 Farmer Fire Department 400 Tabernacle Fire Department 756 Franklinville Fire Department 1,100 Ulah Fire Department 1,163 Guil-Rand Fire Department 3,418 Westside Fire Department 1,117 Julian Fire Department 246 Level Cross Fire Department 691 Total Calls Dispatched in 2020 = 23,044 Total Call Dispatched in 2019 = 23,967 Total Calls Dispatched in 2018 = 23,968 Total Calls Dispatched in 2017 = 20,960 Total Calls Dispatched in 2016 = 19,757 *Declined in 2020 from 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Average Dispatch Time = 1 min 39 secs From the time 9-1-1 rings until the fire department is toned out (paged) IMPORTANT NOTE: The Randolph County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center is a Class 2 ISO center. The only thing keeping us from being a Class 1 (best) center is the number of staff per shift. As indicated in the 9-1-1 Communications section, we should have ten Telecommunicators per shift. The ISO rating of the Communications Center affects individual fire department ISO ratings. PAGE 29 Appendix D Law Enforcement Data January I — December 31, 2020 Asheboro Police 24,656 Liberty Police 1,893 PT Water Authority — Lake Wardens 3 Ramseur Police 1,605 Randleman Police 3,960 Seagrove Police 435 Sheriff's Office 31,609 TOTAL 64,161 Total calls dispatched in 2020 = 64,161 Total calls dispatched in 2019 = 66,670 Total calls dispatched in 2018 = 67,482 Total calls dispatched in 2017 = 66,160 Total calls dispatched in 2016 = 62,387 Average Dispatch Time = I min 58 secs From the time the 9-1-1 phone rings until a unit is dispatched :The totals only reflect the calls dispatched through, the 9-1-1 center and does not select the acluall workload of the law of fbrceineni agency (ex: Irqf ,fic slops, se�flinifiuled calls, in vesfigalions, etc. ). PAGE 30 Everyone at Emergency Services is grateful for the continued support of our Board of Commissioners, County Manager, Assistant County Manager, department heads, and others who help to make our work successful.