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Police seek JAG funds for dispatch QA and computerized pre‑arrival instructions; committee approves application
Summary
The finance committee authorized application for an Edward Byrne JAG grant to buy APCO/telecom software that would computerize pre‑arrival medical instructions in dispatch and provide quality‑assurance tools; total request is $42,122.60 and ongoing maintenance would be approximately $8,000/year.
The finance committee approved police department staff to apply for and accept an Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to purchase APCO/telecom software for the dispatch center. Chief Kenny described the software as a computerized system that would guide dispatchers through medical instructions and capture call data for supervisor quality assurance; the total grant request is $42,122.60. Chief Kenny said the grant would cover much of the upfront cost and that annual maintenance after the first year is expected to be approximately $8,000.
Committee members recalled the department previously used a quality‑assurance dispatch tool that was discontinued about eight years ago because of interface problems with the CentralSquare records/MDT system. Chief Kenny said the prior tool proved clunky and delayed calls in the field; the department investigated modern options for about a year and a half and believes the proposed solution will work better. He said the contract is year‑to‑year, subject to annual maintenance agreements, and that staff would evaluate the tool for effectiveness and discontinue it if it did not provide expected efficiencies.
Members questioned whether maintenance fees could escalate and were told annual maintenance is subject to future contract terms and not capped. The committee approved the application and acceptance motion by voice vote.
Why it matters: The software is intended to speed dispatch guidance to callers and provide supervisors a mechanism to review and improve dispatcher performance; cost and long‑term maintenance are considerations for future budgeting decisions.
