Fire and rescue units serving Whispering Pines are the latest public safety entities to merge services.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners has voted unanimously to terminate the county's existing contracts with the village of Whispering Pines Fire Department.

The action marks approval of a new contract with the village to provide medium duty rescue and medical first response within the fire district.

County Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips said the Whispering Pines Rescue Squad has long provided rescue and medical response within the Whispering Pines Fire District.

Phillips said the merger will provide better service and create more efficient operations.

He said the Whispering Pines Fire Department has received all equipment and personnel necessary to meet the requirements and certifications as a medium duty rescue provider and medical responder with the N.C. Association of Rescue and EMS and the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services.

In addition to improving efficiency, Phillips said there should be a financial savings with the merger.

Also at the June 7 meeting, the commissioners approved a local match to ensure a Governor's Crime Commis-sion grant to the district attorney's office.

District Attorney Maureen Krueger said her office applied for and has been awarded a $149,730 grant to hire an investigator and a victim/witness advocate for a two-year period beginning with the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Both positions are classified as county positions, but the two staffers are supervised by and located in the DA's office in Carthage.

The local match is $24,843.14, of which $9,803.14 is coming from the Grants Matching Fund. The remaining $15,040 will be an in-kind match including health insurance, professional liability, life insurance, vehicle insurance and supplies.

Krueger said that the two positions will be filled by the same two employees who have been serving in the first year of the grant.

In other business, the commissioners held a public hearing on an application for an Individual Development Account Community Development Block Grant under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act. The grant is for $70,000.

This existing program began in 2009 with a two-phase commitment by the county in partnership with Northern Moore Family Resource Center. Phase one was a capacity building grant, and the second phase is the individual development account.

Tim Emmert, community development planner with the Moore County Planning Department, said the Individual Development Account phase will provide the county with an opportunity to help up to 30 low-income families to become homeowners in the northern part of the county.

In compliance with federal law, the commissioners called an obligatory second public hearing to be held during the board's next meeting on June 21. No one signed up to speak during the June 7 hearing.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.