Dispatch upgrades, new radio consoles and command trailer spur vehicle funding request

Mike Warden, dispatch manager for the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office, updated commissioners on the county’s radio and 9-1-1 projects and asked the board to consider contributing to a vehicle purchase to tow a recently acquired command/trailer unit.

Warden told the board the dispatch center is nearly fully staffed (12 of 13) and is using machine‑learning tools for quality assurance. He said the county is finalizing console design work that will connect current radios to a future core and allow the new radio system to be added incrementally. Mobile and portable radios for first‑responder agencies are budgeted and will be distributed to fire districts, EMS and city police once equipment arrives.

Warden reported the county received a command trailer via an ARPA grant in December and concluded the county needs a more capable tow vehicle than the county’s shop truck. He proposed a cab‑crew vehicle in the F‑550 class (or comparable) that would cost in the mid‑$50,000 range used; the county’s share would be a modest fraction (approximately $15,000–$20,000) if cost is split across multiple agencies (dispatch, SAR, public works). The county discussed not rushing installation until after May, to avoid interference with fire season and to ensure site access for cabling and installation.

Commissioners asked questions about winter site access — several radio sites require snowcat access in winter — and about timing for console installation and provisioning from the Department of Transportation. Warden said the console design must be finalized and network provisioning by DOT confirmed before ordering equipment; if the May installation window cannot be met, the project would be deferred to October to avoid the busy season.