Freestone County delays dispatch cutover as network switches, vendor scheduling and equipment purchases are finalized

Freestone County officials told the Commissioners Court that the planned dispatch cutover and related public-safety technology upgrades are delayed while vendors correct hardware orders and staff complete system integration testing and training.

IT staff reported Windstream supplied the wrong Power-over-Ethernet switches for recently started installations, requiring returns and replacement orders. "Windstream ordered the wrong switches," an IT presenter said, and staff asked the court to be aware the fix will slow the schedule. That hardware problem is one of multiple pieces that must come together before the county’s new eForce dispatch environment can go live.

County staff said eForce and other vendors require a 60-day lead time for scheduling on-site training and configuration work. eForce will also need up-to-date officer/unit information and the sheriff’s office confirmed dispatch will remain under the sheriff’s operational control. County presenters said if staff provide the sheriff’s office as the ongoing dispatch manager, vendors can fit the county on their calendar in April; absent that confirmation, schedule uncertainty remains.

Commissioners approved a one-time county share for an ESO interface used by regional ambulance services to receive dispatch data. Staff reported the county’s burden for the integration would be $1,500 one-time with an annual maintenance fee of $300. "The burden to the county for both interfaces would be $1,500," a presenter said while explaining ambulance services agreed to pay their portions.

Separate technology procurement discussion covered in-car laptop units, in-car and body cameras, and lower-cost standalone video systems for constables. Staff presented comparative vendor quotes: a cloud-connected Motorola-style suite was described as substantially more costly, while a standalone SIM-card and docking approach produced lower per-user estimates (roughly $3,804 per user in one vendor estimate for a complete in-car/body-camera package). Commissioners discussed buying fewer units now to pilot the lower-cost systems for two constables and to defer a larger rollout until the budget cycle.

The court voted to purchase a limited set of video systems for two constables and to proceed with the ESO interface. Commissioners emphasized the need to route purchases through the auditor and county attorney, to consolidate installations with planned laptop deployments and to preserve contingency reserves: staff noted contingency sits at roughly $54,000 and several ongoing projects remain to be completed in the fiscal year.

Because the cutover depends on hardware, vendor scheduling and training, staff did not set a final go-live date but said April is feasible if switches are replaced and vendor scheduling is confirmed. The court asked staff to return with a coordinated timeline and final vendor quotes before further spending.