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Vermillion County Council approves $392,888.40 to replace 911 dispatch system
Summary
The council approved a $392,888.40 additional appropriation from the Public Safety Fund to replace the county's 20-year-old 911 dispatch system with a Caliber system, with an expected 4–6 month implementation and $77,326 in annual maintenance.
The Vermillion County Council voted to approve a $392,888.40 additional appropriation from the Public Safety Fund to replace and update the county's 911 dispatch system.
The funding will pay for a Caliber 911 system replacement, which presenters said is necessary because the county's current system is about 20 years old and has ceased receiving key updates. "The system is 20 years old… it's long outlived its life expectancy," said Jimmy, 911 staff, explaining that the county has not received a software update since February 2018 and that portions of the current system are failing.
Councilmember Weir moved to approve the appropriation; Councilmember Brown seconded the motion. The council voted in favor without recorded opposition.
Why it matters: presenters said the new system will restore interoperability with neighboring counties and the Indiana State Police, allow dispatch to operate when the sheriff's office loses internet connectivity, and avoid reverting to pen-and-paper procedures during outages. Jimmy said Caliber would also let the county see call history and activity from other counties after connection, improving coordination during cross-county incidents.
Key details and timing: presenters estimated the vendor would need roughly four to six months to bring the county live on the new system. The vendor's quote includes a recurring maintenance and support cost of $77,326 per year beginning in year two. County staff and the sheriff’s office will need to decide how to budget that ongoing cost; presenters noted the sheriff currently pays toward a portion of the county's existing 911 expenses and that the county may need to increase budgeted amounts to cover the new maintenance line.
Council discussion noted that public safety funds can be used for the purchase, and the council approved using the Public Safety Fund for this appropriation. After the vote, staff said they planned to sign documents and email the vendor promptly so work can begin.
The county also approved a separate, smaller public-safety appropriation of $8,700 for professional services to cover the cost of relocating inmates while jail air conditioning repairs were underway this summer. That pass came earlier in the same meeting.
