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Former employee alleges lapses at Davie County 911 center during public comment
Summary
At the Davie County Board meeting, former employee Sherry Keesler accused leadership at the county 911 communications center of allowing staff to sleep on shift and of inconsistent discipline that she says contributed to delayed care; county leaders offered to meet and said public safety is a priority.
Sherry Keesler, a former Davie County employee who signed up to speak during the public comment period, told the Board of Commissioners that leadership at the county 911 communications center has fostered a culture of fear and poor accountability.
"Why should current and past employees be scared to speak up?" Keesler asked, alleging that telecommunicators had slept during shifts and that disciplinary actions were inconsistent, including promotions following incidents. She said those failures contributed to delayed care during an Oct. 26 incident and urged commissioners to "look a little closer" and impose more accountability, not merely lighter penalties.
County Manager Barnett said after the comment period that he had reached out to the speaker and invited her to meet. "When it comes to public safety, we take that very seriously," Barnett said later in the meeting, adding he felt "extremely confident" in public safety employees and partners.
Several commissioners acknowledged Keesler's courage in speaking at the meeting. Commissioner Benita (surname not specified in the record) said she appreciated Keesler for speaking in public rather than on social media.
The record shows no formal action or vote addressing Keesler's allegations during the meeting. Barnett said he had invited the speaker to meet with him to discuss concerns; no further timeline or investigation outcome was announced at the session.
