Should the Beaufort County Detention Center be evacuated again, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office will have more equipment to make that evacuation safer and more efficient.

Last week, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of 100 restraints (handcuffs, leg irons and belly chains) and a bus for holding and/or transporting inmates to other jails or correctional facilities. The commissioners did not provide all the equipment the sheriff’s office requested.

In June, inmates were evacuated from the jail because of an electrical issue. Those inmates continue to be housed in other detention facilities are repairs and equipment upgrades are being made to the jail.

“In the weeks after these evacuations we have documented and discussed several deficiencies in the emergency evacuation plan of our Detention Center,” wrote Capt. Charlie Rose, of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, in a letter to County Manager Randell Woodruff. “These deficiencies need to be address and equipment items purchased as soon as possible. We can then update our emergency evacuation plan for our Detention Center.”

The sheriff’s office sought 100 additional restraints at a cost of $7,500, six self-contained breathing apparatus to help protect jailer and others helping evacuate inmates from areas where smoke and/or toxic fumes are present (total cost of $9,600) and three buses equipped for proper inmate transport (total cost of $10,500). The estimated cost for all the equipment requested came to $27,600.

The board rejected the full request, with commissioners Gary Brinn, Ed Booth and Robert Belcher voting for the request. Commissioners Hood Richardson, Stan Deatherage, Al Klemm and board Chairman Jerry Langley voted against the full request.

Commissioner Al Klemm said he didn’t see the need for the breathing devices. Other commissioners said they believe the breathing devices likely would not be used.

During the board’s meeting last week, Chief Deputy Kit Campbell said the county could buy a suitable, used bus with 221,000 miles on it for $2,000. The bus has a diesel engine.

“I think you’re buying a disaster,” said Commissioner Hood Richardson about buying the $2,000 bus, adding he believes such a bus would come with costs related to future maintenance on the bus and unexpected repairs.

The board voted 5-2 to buy the bus and additional restraints. Langley, Deatherage, Brinn, Booth and Belcher voted for the purchases. Richardson and Klemm voted against them.