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Sheriff urges more dispatch staff, new 911 software and radio maintenance plan
Summary
Sheriff Beavers and county staff discussed adding dispatch positions, a proposal for new 911 software and a four‑year radio replacement and maintenance plan to address growing call volume and equipment end‑of‑life.
Sheriff Beavers and county staff described operational pressures at the 911 center and proposed staff, software and radio maintenance investments to keep pace with growth.
Beavers said the county’s dispatch center faces rising call volume tied to population growth and contract obligations; he asked that commissioners consider funding two additional communications officers and implementing a new call‑handling protocol that separates call taking and radio communications.
Why it matters: the sheriff said increasing radio traffic and longer multi‑agency contracts have strained the current dispatch model. He presented a proposal for two additional communication officers and described a plan to implement a commercial 911 software package (proposal documentation included in the sheriff’s backup).
Key points - Staffing: Beavers said the county should add two communication officers and suggested the county approach contract partners (MUDs) to cover a portion of the cost through increased indirect cost recoveries. - Software: The sheriff included a vendor proposal (L3 or similar) for software implementation, saying it would help monitor dispatch call handling, evaluate adherence to national standards, and improve officer and public safety. - Radio maintenance and tune‑ups: The proposed radio maintenance schedule in the contract includes factory tune‑ups every two to three years to reduce the county’s unplanned repair costs.
Quotes “We need to look at at 2 communication officers,” Sheriff Beavers said, adding that the L3 implementation proposal and supporting call statistics were included in the backup.
Constraints and next steps Beavers and staff said the new staffing requests could be partially funded through indirect costs allocated to contract partners. The sheriff suggested the county would issue an RFP for radio and maintenance services and that software and staffing changes would be phased over months to address training and safety protocols.
Ending Commissioners asked for additional analysis; staff said they would follow up with contract partners and incorporate the software and personnel costs into updated budget projections.
