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Commissioners approve PSAP network clock and name interim 9-1-1 coordinator; 911 staffing and IT oversight discussed
Summary
The board approved a sole-source net clock purchase for the public-safety answering point and voted to transfer sheriff communications director Mark Ketchum into the interim 9-1-1 coordinator role as a transfer with unchanged pay; commissioners also approved a separate staffing change for Gabriel Blackwell.
Wagoner County commissioners on Monday approved a sole-source purchase of a network time server (NetClock) for the county’s public-safety answering point (PSAP) to provide GPS-based timing for dispatch equipment and records. Mark Ketchum, director of communications for the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, explained that accurate timing is required by NENA standards and is important for consistent mapping, audio and video evidence timestamps.
Ketchum requested a single-vendor quote from Sacris for $12,700 and said county staff will perform installation. Commissioners approved the purchase and directed payment from the 9-1-1 M&O account.
In a personnel action taken in open session after an executive session, the board approved a motion to change Gabriel Blackwell’s title and assignment: commissioners voted to remove Blackwell’s title of 9-1-1 coordinator and assign him to 9-1-1 dispatch training at a wage stated in the action ($19 per hour in the record). The board also considered action regarding Mark Ketchum and, after discussion with the sheriff, approved a motion to transfer Ketchum to the county payroll as interim 9-1-1 coordinator, reporting to the board of county commissioners while keeping his existing pay.
Sheriff and commissioners described the move as a temporary, team-based step to ensure communications and IT oversight across towers, dispatch, and courthouse networks while the county seeks a permanent 9-1-1 coordinator. The sheriff requested an opportunity to confer privately with Ketchum about the change; commissioners said the interim assignment was necessary to provide county oversight and continuity of operations.
Why it matters: The NetClock purchase addresses an operational and potential legal risk—mismatched timestamps for recorded dispatch data—and the staffing changes place primary responsibility for 9-1-1 operations, communications and related IT coordination under county administration on an interim basis.
What’s next: Commissioners said they will continue to coordinate with the sheriff’s office on the transition, and staff will bring future agenda items concerning long-term 9-1-1 coordinator duties and IT responsibilities.
