Adams County looks into screening options

RITZVILLE – Adams County commissioners met with Bob Duke of Phoenix Protective Corporation Wednesday, June 3, to plan for COVID-19 screening services and installation of security equipment to the courthouse in Ritzville and the public services building in Othello, prior to county facilities opening to the public.

County buildings won't open to the public until Adams County is approved for Phase 3 of Governor Inslee's 4-phase "Safe Start" program.

Plans are being made for the courthouse's ADA-accessible, back-door entrance to become the single point of access to and from the courthouse.

"Our front door won't be in front anymore; it will be around back," Commissioner John Marshall said.

The county will contract with Phoenix Protective Services out of Spokane to install security equipment and provide COVID-19 screening services of everyone coming into the building. People will be questioned and their temperatures taken before being allowed access.

Marshall said information gathered when screening people coming in would be used to help the Department of Public Health with their contact tracing.

Security measures discussed at the courthouse include stationing a guard in the entryway to screen people entering the building, with anything from a simple hand wand to more secure measures including a magnetometer (to detect the presence of a metallic object) and an x-ray machine. Two guards will be stationed in the entryway on days when court cases are scheduled to be heard.

Duke said security officers with the company are licensed through the state, and have the authority when necessary to restrain someone before turning them over to law enforcement. He said they can be armed or unarmed, depending on the level of security needed.

Commissioners have not taken action on the decision yet, and are waiting on a cost estimate from Phoenix Protective Corporation following Duke's assessment of the facilities.

The courthouse security, Marshall said, is something commissioners discussed installing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a permanent solution, installation of security equipment may need to be put out to bid.

Commissioners said they hope the COVID-19 screening will only be needed for a certain, although unknown, length of time.

Duke said the company, also known as PPC Solutions, provides county access screening services along with COVID-19 screening to several clients in the area.

"Some of the things we've had challenges with is making sure we have a free flow, minimizing the access; and people being able to get into the building in a timely manner," Duke said. "We've been able to make sure to work through some of those challenges to make sure we have a one-way-in, one-way-out."

Stephen McFadden, also in attendance at the meeting, said according to the recent new cases of COVID-19 confirmed, the soonest the county could hope to be eligible to move into Phase 3 would be the second week of July.