Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Dispatch topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County approves upgrades to 911 recording system, adds interim hardware and signs reimbursement JPA
Summary
Koochiching County authorized purchase of a new radio/phone logger, approved a change order to bridge new and old dispatch hardware, and signed a joint powers agreement to secure state reimbursement for network upgrades affecting the PSAP.
KOOCHICHING COUNTY, Minn. — The Koochiching County Board on Sept. 23 approved a package of changes and purchases intended to modernize the county’s 911 dispatch logging and call‑handling equipment.
Dispatch leadership recommended the county buy a MacTec recording/logger system after reviewing competitive quotes. The MacTec quote, as presented, was $24,068; an alternate (Blue Spirit/Eventide) quote was higher after clarification about required channel recording. The 911 manager asked the board to move the purchase from the 2026 capital plan into 2025 to match other hardware work on the dispatch/dispatcher center.
The board also approved a change order to add bridging hardware (referred to in meeting materials as a Vesta change order) that will link the old law‑enforcement server room to new systems in the new law‑enforcement center. Staff explained moving all equipment to the new server room risked up to a week of downtime; the bridging approach reduces operational risk.
Separately, the county signed a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the state emergency communications network so the county can be reimbursed for vendor work replacing aging network circuits. County staff said the state will reimburse eligible PSAP costs; the JPA indicates the county may be reimbursed through the ECN process for qualifying expenses (the meeting discussion referenced a reimbursement limit in the JPA language as reported to the board; board staff expect to receive vendor quotes and submit for reimbursement).
Why it matters: The county’s emergency communications center (PSAP) is required to record all radio and telephone traffic and to maintain continuous call‑handling service. Staff told the board the logger replacement and interim hardware will keep the PSAP compliant and enable planned call‑handling hardware refresh work.
Board action: The board voted to purchase the MacTec logger (funding from the county’s E911 special revenue fund), approve the bridging hardware change order, and execute the JPA that enables state reimbursement of PSAP upgrade costs. Staff estimated the MacTec equipment could be installed and operational within 4–6 weeks after order and mid‑November as an optimistic deployment target.
Follow up: Staff will place the equipment order, coordinate vendor scheduling and installation, and file reimbursement requests under the JPA once vendor invoices are available.
