Commissioners approve regional CAD and P25 work; county seeks grant funding for $3.69 million project

Cumberland County commissioners on June 26 approved advancing work on a regional computer‑aided dispatch (CAD) and P25 interoperability project and a capital plan that county staff estimated at $3,688,303 to replace and modernize CAD hardware and support regional integration.

Public safety staff said the current CAD system was purchased in 2019 and by the time a new regional solution is implemented (an 18–24 month implementation window anticipated), much of the supporting hardware will need replacement. Project proponents said the regional approach would allow participating counties to share interfaces and annual maintenance costs, create a virtual public-safety answering point for mutual backup during outages, and route surge call volume among partners.

Mike Snyder, public safety, and Claudia Garner, public safety, described related contracts already signed for tower licensing and an interface between the county’s CAD vendor and the new digital radio system; one interface item was a one‑time $31,933 cost with $3,012 annual maintenance. Staff said the project is eligible for 911 surcharge funding and could receive additional PEMA grant funding if structured as a multi‑county interconnectivity project; commissioners encouraged staff to pursue competitive grant opportunities.

Commissioners and staff emphasized cybersecurity and the need to structure contract milestones to match anticipated funding availability. The board approved the action to proceed with the project and pursue funding; staff said procurement and governance documents, including a proposed multi‑county governance agreement, will return to the board for approval once participants are confirmed.