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Freeport council approves grant-funded 9-1-1 call recorder to replace decade-old system
Summary
City council voted unanimously to accept a Gulf Coast grant to buy a new 9-1-1 recording system at a total project cost of $31,500; staff said the current recorder is end-of-life and lacks text message capture and other modern features.
The Freeport City Council unanimously approved acceptance of a Gulf Coast grant to purchase a new 9-1-1 recorder with a total project cost of $31,500.
David Fernandez, a police department employee who said he writes grants, told the council the current recorder is “about 10 years old” and “has reached its end of life.” He said the older system does not include newer capabilities required for 9-1-1 systems, including capturing text messages, and that the recorder also archives radio traffic for police, fire and EMS.
Fernandez said the grant award was received March 26 and that the purchase will be budget-neutral: the city will purchase the equipment and then be reimbursed. Councilman Matamotis moved to approve the project; Councilman Pina seconded the motion and the council voted to approve it unanimously.
Council members asked whether the Gulf Coast 9-1-1 reimbursement was documented; Fernandez said the reimbursement terms are included in the grant packet. The council offered brief thanks to Fernandez and to public safety staff before moving to the next item.
