County commissioners debate EMS GPS reports, encrypted radio use after citizen concerns

County commissioners and public safety officials on Aug. 4, 2025, discussed citizen reports that some emergency medical services (EMS) GPS units had been disabled and weighed the sheriff'office's request to encrypt certain radio traffic, saying encryption is aimed at protecting responders and sensitive operational information.

The conversation began after a resident raised concerns about the possibility of disabled GPS units and requested an after'action-style report on vehicle usage and location. "I personally view it as a public safety issue," Sharlene Oliver said, adding she supports measures "for our first responders" while asking that any recordings remain available through public records rules if legally appropriate.

The county mayor responded that the claims had been secondhand and pledged to pursue the underlying sources. "I will ask our legal department to pursue what legal remedies are available to get those names of that secondhand information," the mayor said, saying unauthorized sharing of GPS data could put county personnel at risk.

County Commissioner Rogers, who had removed a related agenda item at a previous meeting because he said the item'description was unclear, said he removed it because he believed earlier notices conflated GPS-location questions with other operational matters. "I didn't know it was talking about a boneyard sitting out on Airport Road and why was those GPS units disabled. That's why I removed it," Rogers said.

An EMS chief and other operations staff explained how GPS and the county's dispatch mapping (described in the meeting as the CAP system) operate in routine response. "When those vehicles are turned on, you cannot disable GPS units," the chief said, adding that units are monitored by command staff and GPS is used for mobilization and operational efficiency. Staff said disabling GPS would require access and tools typically available only to mechanics.

Commissioners and attendees also debated transparency for hobbyist scanner users and the public. Some residents and commissioners said they rely on public alerts and scanner feeds; others warned that openly broadcasting real'time locations or detailed incident data can expose responders and victims to criminal targeting. "The encryption is there for a reason. Don't put our men and women in jeopardy," one commissioner said.

Several commissioners asked staff for non'identifying, numeric follow'ups: counts of vehicles parked out of service, whether units had been taken off inventory, and whether GPS devices on county'owned equipment were active. One commissioner asked for an after'action style report without individual names to help the commission and taxpayers understand vehicle allocation and whether ambulances are being retired or idled.

No formal policy change or vote on encryption or GPS access was taken at the meeting. The mayor'reported willingness to answer direct questions and to coordinate with the sheriff's office; he also said he would pursue the sources of the citizen claims through legal channels. Commissioners said they preferred first'hand complaints rather than second'hand reports.

Background: commissioners said the item had appeared on a prior agenda and been pulled after questions about whether discussing unit locations in open session could create security risks or violate open'meetings constraints. Several speakers referenced the Sunshine Law and public records processes when describing how complaints and records requests should be handled.

Next steps noted in the meeting included staff follow'up to provide numeric, non'identifying information about vehicle status and for the mayor's office to coordinate with the sheriff's office and legal counsel to trace secondhand sources of the GPS claims.