Aug. 20 was anything but a normal day in Lincoln County. Local public safety agencies were called to two emergencies. A small plane crashed in Bristol resulting in the pilot's death. At 1 p.m., Lincoln County 911 center received calls of a small plane crash near Fort William Henry in Bristol. Units from Bristol Fire and Rescue, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Central Lincoln County Ambulance were dispatched to the scene.

 

Earlier in the day, a 10-hour standoff between law enforcement and a 51-year-old Whitefield man had begun. The sheriff's department had a search warrant for Robert D. Willett’s residence to seize firearms and related evidence. 

 

During the Sept. 2 commissioners' meeting, County Emergency Management Agency Director Emily Huber and Sheriff Todd Brackett discussed the challenges of handling simultaneous emergency situations. 

 

Around 10 a.m., the County EMA team set up a command post in Whitefield for the armed standoff. "It was a place for where law enforcement could take a break and watch video footage from the drones. Then the plane crash happened at 1 p.m. Bristol had it all under control and did a fantastic job," she said. "It was a great job all the way around for everyone involved."

 

Huber also credited newly hired Deputy Director Todd Phillips for his participation in the dual emergencies. "He really stepped up and asked me 'What do you need me to do?' We had already arranged for him to use my pickup so if the standoff went in a different direction, we could bring cones and barricades to close down the road," she said. 

 

Brackett praised both county and municipal public safety workers for their cooperation. "Things happen, but you don't expect them to happen all at once," he said. "It was a great example of how we can all work together. We were really put to the test that day."

 

In other action, commissioners accepted a bid for a new EMA vehicle. Commissioners received two bids, and O'Connor GMC Auto Group in Augusta was the low bidder. Commissioners accepted the bid for a 2027 Chevrolet Tahoe Special Service vehicle. The county is receiving a $9,000 trade-in and will pay $48,758. The vehicle will be delivered within 120 days based on the bid.

 

Commissioners approved three payment authorizations for the sheriff's department: Island Tech Services, $8,387.15, for installation of new sirens and lights into a new cruiser; Motorola Solutions, $5,745.40, for two in-car and one body camera systems; and Absolute Software, $4,800, for an annual subscription for mobile data units' communication with the server. 

 

The sheriff also received approval to sell a 2018 Dodge Charger, 2017 Dodge Charger, 2018 Dodge Durango and 2021 Ford Explorer. All four vehicles will be listed at publicsurplus.com

 

The sheriff's department also received permission to apply for two Highway Safety Enforcement grants. The department is applying for a $15,000 Speed Enforcement Grant which provides overtime funds for additional patrols. The second is an $11,400 grant for an electronic citation system. "The buzz word is E-citation. A new way to write tickets and warnings," Brackett said. "The deputy will swipe bar codes on a driver's license which back fills into the citation or warning." 

 

Commissioners also approved out-of-state-travel for an Echelon Front Premier Leadership training conference in Denver, Colorado. The conference is Oct. 14-17. Brackett and Chief Deputy Rand Maker will attend. Brackett estimated the tuition and travel costs will be $6,300 for two. The conference is designed to equip leaders with real world leadership principles, interactive assessments, and role-playing exercises.

 

Commissioners hired Jennifer Brooks as the district attorney office supervisor. Her first day is Sept. 8. Commissioners approved a $35,638 payment for boiler repairs to the courthouse's heating ventilation air conditioning system. County Administrator Carrie Kipfer announced the county is still searching for a new public safety building location. County officials were in discussions about buying a Newcastle parcel, but Kipfer reported the owner decided against selling the property.

 

Commissioners meet next at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the courthouse.