Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Capital topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public safety capital: county to replace 911 call‑taking system, continue radio fleet refresh and fund mission‑critical gear
Summary
The Department of Human and Public Safety Management presented a FY26 public safety capital package focused on mission‑critical communications and field equipment, including a refresh of the 911 phone system and the third year of a multi‑year radio replacement program.
Jeffrey Bergen, financial officer for the Department of Human and Public Safety Management (DHPSM), told the board that public safety capital requests for FY26 focus on mission‑critical communications, response equipment and vehicle technology used daily by first responders.
Bergen said the FY26 public safety capital list totals roughly $6.4 million for replacement projects scheduled this year. The largest items are a refresh of the county’s 911 call‑taking equipment (call premise equipment) and the third year of the county’s multi‑year public safety radio replacement program. Bergen described the radio replacement as a phased program intended to maintain useful life, allow operational testing and ensure interoperability across jurisdictions.
Other projects proposed for FY26 include replacements and upgrades for thermal imaging cameras and other fire‑response tools, range improvements for police training, technology supporting mobile video trailers, and LiveScan fingerprinting equipment for the Sheriff’s Office. Bergen emphasized that these assets typically have 5–10 year useful lives and the PSIT governance structure helps coordinate procurement, lifecycle replacement and regional interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Staff noted the trend toward software as a service (SaaS) for some public safety tools, which may move costs from capital into operating budgets over time. Bergen also highlighted partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions—he cited joint procurement and prior successful collaborations with the City of Alexandria on a next‑generation 911 project—as a way to access grant funding and reduce procurement costs.
The board praised the public safety teams’ recent operational responses and underscored the importance of keeping mission‑critical systems current. Several members asked whether any items on the list were deferrable; staff said many of the radio fleet replacements and the 911 refresh are time‑sensitive because they approach end of useful life and are difficult to pause without service impacts.
Provenance: based on the DHPSM presentation by Jeffrey Bergen and related board Q&A.
