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Cobb County uses ARPA funds for coresponse vehicles, recruitment and 911 center support
Summary
Cobb County officials say American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars have funded unmarked coresponse vehicles for the PATH team, supported hiring and retention efforts for police and 911 staff, and helped the fire department's CARES outreach, with the county's $147 million ARPA allocation required to be allocated this year and distributed by 2026.
Cobb County officials said federal American Rescue Plan Act funds have been used to buy unmarked vehicles for a police coresponse team, expand recruiting and retention efforts and improve amenities at the county 911 center.
Officer King, describing the county's PATH coresponse work, said, "PATH stands for Partnership for Assistance, Treatment, and Health." County staff said ARPA money paid for two unmarked Tahoes used by coresponse teams so officers can make lower-profile follow-up visits and reduce the intrusiveness of crisis responses.
County and fire department officials said the funding has supported staffing for coresponse work and helped pay for recruitment outreach after the pandemic left many vacancies. A staff member said ARPA dollars have funded recruiter attendance at events and other recruitment costs that have helped reduce more than 100 vacancies by roughly half. Officials also said ARPA funds financed amenities and tools at the Cobb 911 center intended to aid retention and recruiting of emergency dispatchers.
A fire department representative described a parallel effort, CARES, which aims to assist residents who need help but do not require 911 emergency responses. Officials said CARES and PATH positions use ARPA-funded staffing and vehicles to spend more time coordinating services and follow-up in the community.
Cobb County staff noted the county's ARPA allocation totals $147,000,000 and that "by law, the monies must be allocated by the end of this year and distributed by 2026." County officials directed listeners to cobbcounty.gov/arpa for details on allocations.
No formal vote or ordinance was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the remarks described ongoing program implementation and how ARPA dollars have been used so far.
