The Macomb County Board of Commissioners approved a budget amendment to purchase 30 Avon gas masks for the county SWAT team at a cost of $40,477.24.

Captain Jared Rutan (presenting the item) and other sheriff's office representatives said the masks are a sole-source purchase from Avon and include an integrated microphone/communications component. "Avon is a sole source vendor, which offers a mask along with a microphone in 1 unit. We are asking for 30 total masks," Rutan said. County staff explained funding will come from an internal reallocation within the sheriff's budget — moving money from road-patrol contracts/jail and administrative personnel lines into the sheriff uniform services capital outlay account — and that the reallocation is possible because of unfilled deputy positions producing a personnel-salary surplus.

Sheriff's staff said the existing masks date to 2012 and will be retained for training rather than scrapped. "The old mask will be retained for training purposes for the team to use," Lieutenant Conklin said. Presenters said the masks have a 10-year shelf life when sealed and that the integrated communications allow officers to hear and speak with each other and the command post while wearing protective gear, which improves operational communications during deployments.

The SWAT team was described as a multi-jurisdictional team of 28 officers from seven agencies. Commissioners asked about other units' equipment and replacement schedules. Staff said Mobile Field Force recently received new masks funded through separate federal sources and that canisters (the consumable filtration cartridges) are purchased separately; the mask purchase does not automatically include an extended supply of canisters.

The board recorded the budget amendment and the item was referred to the full board and approved in the public-safety package. The recorded motion passed at the meeting.