STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC CARLSON
Dropping In
Dean Beauvais of Holden Beach stays just out of reach of the whitewater as he sets up a bottom turn
on a good-sized w ave near the Holden Beach Fishing Pier. A strong swell and temperatures in the 70s
lured more than a dozen surfers into the 50-degree water last week.
Board Approves New Automated
Phone System For Social Services
BY ERIC CARLSON
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Sound familiar? It docs if you've
ever had reason to call the Bruns
wick County Department of Social
Services, where getting an answer
within five rings is a remarkable
event.
Yes, there is someone there.
And it isn't that they don't care.
It's just that the receptionist is try
ing to route more calls than one per
son can physically handle. Espe
cially since most callers need help
figuring out exactly who they need
to speak with.
That was the message given to the
DSS board Monday night by a com
mittee representing each of the de
partment's service eight areas. The
group made an urgent appeal to the
board for the purchase of a new tele
phone system, a request supported
by department Director Jamie
Orrock.
"We're required to grow as more
people qualify for assistance. But
the telephone situation is preventing
us from doing that efficiently,"
Orrock said. "Today we're serving
twice the number of people with the
same phone system we had 15 years
ago. The current system just isn't
going to be able to be upgraded."
After much discussion and a 35
minute closed session to discuss
four bids, the board voted unani
mously to authorize Orrock to
arrange for the the lease-purchase of
a S32.547 phone system from At
lantic Telephone Co.
Orrock on Tuesday said there is
enough unappropriated salary mon
ey in the DSS budget to make a
down payment on the system and to
have it installed without an addition
al appropriation from the county
commissioners. He said the pro
posed monlhly lease payments are
comparable to the current outlay and
should not require a budget increase
next year.
He plans to discuss the purchase
with County Manager Wyman
Yelton this week and request au
throzation to sign a contract. He said
he did not know when the system
would go into operation.
Once the new telephone system is
installed, callers will hear a recorded
greeting informing them that they
have reached DSS. The message
will instruct the client how to use
touch-tone signals to reach individ
ual extensions, to receive additional
recorded information or to reach an
operator.
Orrock said that during the first
week of every month, the depart
ment receives a hundred calls a day
from people inquiring about benefits
or asking when a check or food
stamp allotment was mailed.
Now, each of those questions has
to be answered individually, causing
other calls to "stack up" before they
can be answered, members of the
committee told the board. The auto
mated answering service will let
callers get the information they need
while allowing the receptionist to
handle special inquiries.
"The new system will allow peo
North Brunswick Chamber
Kicks Off Scholarship Program
1 he North Brunswick Chamber of was laiscu through chamber mem
Commerce has initiated a scholar- bcrship fees and other fundraising
ship program by contributing to the activities.
Brunswick Community College Gilbert said, "The chamber real
Foundation. izes how tightly connected educa
The donation of $500 will be dis- tion and business are, anu wc hope
tributed by the college to assist a to make it easier for adults to im
North Brunswick area adult in cov- prove their skills.
ering the costs of continuing educa- The chamber plans to continue
tion. and expand the program yearly, he
"The scholarship program is an added.
attempt by the chamber to increase The North Brunswick Chamber of
its community involvement in the Commerce also will present a schol
North Brunswick area." said Don arship to a high school student from
Gilbert, chair of the chamber's the North Brunswick area later this
Education Committee. The money year, Gilbert said.
pic to bypass the front desk and get
right to the employee they need to
speak with," Orrock said.
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