County approves public-safety technology contracts, CAD replacement and a mass-casualty exercise
Loading...
Summary
Talbot County approved four procurements tied to the new Public Safety Building: audiovisual and meeting-room technology, an extension of the Mission Critical Partners contract for CAD implementation, an award to Tyler Technologies for computer-aided dispatch replacement, and a grant-funded mass-casualty exercise contract.
The Talbot County Council voted to approve a series of contracts and expenditures Tuesday that county officials said are necessary for the opening and operation of the new Public Safety Building.
County emergency-services staff presented four items: technology and audiovisual equipment for training and conference rooms; an extension of consultant Mission Critical Partners to support a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) replacement through implementation; an award to Tyler Technologies to supply the new CAD system; and a grant-funded contract to conduct a large-scale mass-casualty exercise.
Director of Emergency Services Brian LaCates said the training-room technology — which includes projectors, microphones and live-streaming capability to operate Granicus meetings from the new facility — carries a total price of $552,000. LaCates said roughly $105,000 of that total would be paid from State Homeland Security funds and that the county would piggyback on the Maryland state contract for procurement. The council approved the award after a roll-call vote.
The council also approved an extension of Mission Critical Partners’ contract for $134,680 to support the CAD replacement through implementation, and awarded the CAD replacement (bid 2407) to Tyler Technologies for $611,635. County staff said the CAD system is the 9‑1‑1 center’s core operations platform — it routes calls, locates callers and directs field resources — and described a long procurement and evaluation process that included technical demonstrations.
Lastly, the council approved a grant-funded ($47,680) contract with Accenture to spearhead a multiagency mass-casualty drill using Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds. Staff said the exercise will include law enforcement, fire and EMS partners and will evaluate operational and interagency response in a large-scale incident.
Division Chief Holly Guskey (9‑1‑1), Director of Technical Services Tommy Haddaway and other staff took questions from the council. Each procurement was approved on a recorded roll call with council members voting aye.
LaCates and staff thanked the council for support and said the items are budgeted or grant-funded and part of the broader capital plan to bring the Public Safety Building online this summer.
