Perquimans and Gates counties are on the verge of merging their 911 communication centers after the Gates sheriff’s request for Perquimans’ help because of a staffing shortage evolved into a full entreaty for consolidated services.
Perquimans County Manager Frank Heath explained to Perquimans commissioners during their Feb. 19 meeting that a merger between the two 911 centers has become necessary.
“This has been a fast-paced and fluid situation involving Gates County,” Heath said. “It is our understanding (the) Gates County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting last night (Feb 18) to assess their capacity to operate a standalone 911 center. “
Heath said after Gates officials “reviewed suggestions and guidance” from the North Carolina 911 Board and “receiving pretty explicit communication” from the state board, the county commissioners drafted a resolution asking Perquimans “to take them over.”
Heath said he had learned from the NC 911 Board’s recent assessment of the Gates 911 Center that it was “noncompliant with NC administrative code requirements due primarily to the identified lack of operational and maintenance records.” He said the Gates 911 Center also “had lost a significant number of personnel.”
“The state 911 Board gave the Gates County sheriff 30 days to bring their 911 call center into compliance, which proved impossible due to lack of certified, telecommunicators, leadership and staffing,” Heath said.
According to minutes from a special Board of Commissioners meeting, Gates Sheriff Ray Campbell asked Heath for backup 911 call center assistance on Feb. 8. Campbell said he needed Perquimans County 911 call center personnel to accept and process telephone calls for Gates County emergency services by midnight on Feb. 9. The Gates 911 center handles calls for Gates law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services, non-emergency calls for water service disruptions and animal control.
Since then, Perquimans County 911 Center personnel have responded to calls from residents in both counties. They have also relayed details about incidents to emergency personnel and dispatched first responders in both counties.
Gates County Manager Scott Sauer confirmed in a Feb. 26 email to The Perquimans Weekly that a loss of personnel had posed a major problem for the Gates 911 center’s ability to provide routine services. Sauer said Gates quickly reached out to Perquimans 911 center personnel for assistance in early February, he said.
According to the meeting minutes, the Gates County communications director resigned on Feb. 2 and two communications supervisors resigned, one on Feb. 3, the other on Feb. 9. Three full-time telecommunicators also resigned on Feb. 9.
Without sufficient personnel, the Gates County 911 Center was out of compliance with state guidelines for adequate 911 services.
Sauer said the Gates 911 Communications Center currently doesn’t employ any fulltime employees and only two part-time employees have the training and credentials “to be considered” for employment with Perquimans. He said the Gates commissioners are expected to approve an agreement merging its 911 center with Perquimans at its next meeting.
“Both counties are fully engaged with the transition and logistical steps toward this regional partnership, and it is anticipated that the interlocal agreement will be finalized and adopted by the Gates County Board of Commissioners at its next meeting on March 6 at 6 p.m.,” he said in the email.
Heath said that previous collaboration between the two counties’ 911 centers made it possible for Perquimans 911 personnel to assist Gates when the sheriff made the request on Feb. 8. The two counties have had an interlocal agreement to provide the other backup 911 services since January of 2022.
“This is the second time that they have not been able to staff their center,” Heath said.
Heath said he’s had regular conversations with Gates County’s sheriff, county manager, human resources director and other representatives to help prepare for a possible merger.
“Gates County worked to identify the remaining available certified part-time dispatchers to staff the backup workstation in our 911 Center while we continued to provide 24-hour coverage of both Perquimans and Gates County,” he said. “Gates has had no staff to appear at our 911 center to date. The North Carolina 911 Board was made aware of the situation and actively reviewed options to support the decisions that were before the Gates County Commissioners.
“In the meantime our staff has been actively actively supporting the request of Gates while not diminishing the commitment we have to our citizens in Perquimans,” Heath said.
Heath also said he and Perquimans County EMS leaders have already discussed ways a merger of the two 911 centers would work.
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