Public Safety Meeting - October 12, 2026

The City of Winston-Salem Public Safety Committee met on October 12, 2026. The committee unanimously approved the consent agenda. Item G1 was postponed until December 14; the Fire Chief explained that the city’s specialized response team had been deployed to assist with storm-related flooding and rescues in other North Carolina counties. The Chief noted that the team deploys as a state asset and that North Carolina Emergency Management covers deployment costs and replaces damaged equipment, so participating local municipalities incur no cost for those missions.

The Office of Emergency Management provided a 2026 update covering preparedness training, exercises, election safety coordination, and responses to incidents and major events, including a water-main break and severe weather. Staff also described a continuity-of-operations project underway in phases and expected to finish by April 2027, and reiterated council’s ongoing effort to pursue a standalone regional emergency operations center. No contract award, vendor selection, procurement approval, or specific spending allocation was identified.