The Town of Bladenboro used the police department and fire department for staging by emergency services during floods and hurricanes. These buildings were located on opposite sides of the town and away from most flood-prone areas. During Hurricane Matthew, the police department lost power for three days. This required all emergency and safety personnel to work out of the fire department building, making responses to calls strenuous and less efficient. Lack of power at the police department also limited access to necessary law enforcement databases. Golden LEAF Disaster Recovery Grant Program funds were used to purchase and install a backup generator at the police department.
