BLUE EARTH– Citing the need to have a faster response time in case of emergencies, the Faribault County Board approved updating the county’s current panic button system when they met for their regular board meeting on Tuesday.

“Our current system is antiquated and provides relatively slow response times during an emergency situation,” Sheriff Scott Adams informed the board. “We expect a reasonable response time of four to 10 minutes plus travel time. The new system will allow instant notification to local law enforcement with no additional subscriptions fees.”

The cost of the new system is just over $32,000.

“The Sheriff’s Department will cover about $13,400 of the cost,” Adams commented. “Plus, we will provide a radio.”

Once the panic button is pushed, a notice goes out to the Sheriff’s Department and the local police department and the notice is immediate.

“We had an incident where the old system did not work,” County Attorney Cameron Davis noted. “We ended up dialing 911 for assistance. However, a person cannot always dial on a phone in an emergency situation. I feel it’s an important upgrade to provide for the safety and security of my office staff.”

Chairman Bruce Anderson said that he and commissioner Groskreutz had done a test two years ago and it took 17 minutes for the response time.

“Any city in the county could add this to their City Hall building,” Adams added. “Schools would also be able to tie into the system.”

The board also:

— Set 9 a.m. on Feb. 23 for a public meeting on whether to keep Faribault County a shotgun only zone for deer hunting. Unless the board passes an ordinance keeping the county as a shotgun only zone, high-power rifles will be legal to use in the county with the 2026 deer season.

— Approved the training request of Brittney Gehrking of the Sheriff’s Office for a Dogs for Law Enforcement K9 Seminar.

— Approved Veterans Services Office Jennifer Howard taking basic benefit accreditation course online.

— Approved the request of Vincent Do of the Sheriff’s Office to attend TASER instructor certification classes.