The Banner County Board of Commissioners voted to accept bids from Nebraska Fire and Safety Equipment for courthouse systems, approving a $21,975 fire alarm installation and a $2,255 security system.

The vote occurred after discussion of three proposals for fire and security work. Clerk Kathy reported that a safety committee reviewed the bidders and that six of seven committee members favored Nebraska Fire and Safety Equipment over Protex and the other vendor. Kathy said the committee relied on the firm's prior work at the county school and the fire chief's approval.

Commissioners discussed contract language and the open-ended nature of the bids. One commissioner urged caution because the proposals were open-ended and could include extra charges if the state fire marshal or other authority required additional equipment. Still, another commissioner noted the courthouse's vulnerability at night and said wiring to dispatch is essential to detect overnight fires.

After further discussion a motion was made and seconded to accept the Nebraska Fire and Safety Equipment bids as presented. Roll call vote: Don, No; Robin, Yes; Lee, Yes. The motion carried and the contracts were awarded to Nebraska Fire and Safety Equipment.

The board and staff noted next steps: execution of the contracts and scheduling work so the courthouse has wired dispatch connections for fire alarms and installed panic/security measures. The board also discussed separating the fire alarm and panic-button wiring work from larger system upgrades to limit immediate costs.

Kathy, who led the bid review, said the committee's majority preference reflected both prior working experience and local approvals: "Every one of us showed up and discussed everything, discussed pros and cons, had a really nice discussion."