MANSFIELD — Michelle Swank said she hopes installing dashcams and vehicle tracking in five Dayspring vehicles will add an additional layer of security for employees and residents.
The executive director of Dayspring Assisted Living & Care Facility, Swank told the Richland County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday the technology request came from an employee.
“My employee was concerned because he is in a county vehicle — that as he’s driving the residents back and forth to their appointments, he could be seen as an easy target in the sense that if somebody wanted to cause an accident,” she said.
Citing the concern as valid, Swank said she discovered Verizon Connect through research.
Commissioner Tony Vero said it seems more private and governmental entities are beginning to use similar fleet management software.
The software offers several tools, including real time vehicle tracking, route replays, geofences and dashcam capabilities, among others, according to the company’s website.
Swank said the software will be installed in five Dayspring vehicles — three transport vehicles, an activity bus and a truck primarily used for maintenance.
Combined for all five vehicles, the year-long subscription will cost about $250 per month — about $3,000 for the year, according to commissioners. The cost also includes storage of footage from the cameras.
For the first year of the subscription, the executive director said each dashcam would cost $4 per month. Funds for the program will come from Dayspring’s budget.
New software will add ‘layer of protection’
Swank said the dashcams are capable of displaying everything the driver sees while operating the vehicle.
There’s currently no complaints regarding the driving performance of any Dayspring employees, she said, but this technology provides an extra layer of security and other added benefits.
“We are driving our residents and sometimes our residents might have a difference of opinion of how fast the other driver might be going,” Swank said. “This will also again be able to protect our employees because as long as you’re not doing anything wrong, everything’s fine.
“I don’t believe our employees are doing anything wrong. This just is another layer of protection for the resident and for the employee that I think would be worth the money that it would cost us each month,” she said.
Commissioners unanimously approved the one-year subscription with Verizon Connect.
Swank said all employees and residents will be informed that all Dayspring vehicles will be equipped with the software and dashcams. If a resident has a guardian, they will be told as well.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
— approved a contract for a new phone system at Dayspring. Armstrong, a telephone company with four locations in Ohio, including Ashland, has proposed an increase to 21 digital phone lines.
The cost to Dayspring includes a system activation fee of around $700 and about a $300 increase in its monthly payment — which when included with internet costs, also provided by Armstrong, would bring it to about $700 per month.
