Commissioners approve purchase of county-wide emergency notification service (E3) to improve alerts

Madison County commissioners reviewed a proposal from local public-safety staff to purchase an emergency-notification service—presented as an ‘E3’ system—that would send immediate notifications to county phones and devices for active incidents such as active-shooter events, evacuations or severe weather. Public-safety staff told the board the system sends direct alerts to first responders and county buildings without routing delays, provides an app interface for staff and can integrate with dispatch. The vendor quoted the county $1,500 for initial setup and $2,500 per year thereafter. Commissioners and sheriff’s office personnel discussed covering the initial setup and the first year from the CARES fund and adding recurring costs to a future budget line. Commissioner discussion emphasized the system’s value for courthouse, jail, public-health and schools; staff suggested training and vendor-led onboarding would be provided. Commissioners asked staff to proceed with procurement and indicated they would allocate the $4,000 first-year cost from CARES Act funds while confirming recurring costs in next year’s budget. Ending: Staff will complete vendor setup, schedule training for dispatch and key county offices, and include the annual subscription cost in a future budget request.