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Board approves state grant to renew continuity-of-operations software for county and local jurisdictions
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a renewal of grant-funded software that centralizes continuity-of-operations planning for Maricopa County and partner jurisdictions, county officials said.
Maricopa County supervisors on Friday unanimously approved agenda item 41, accepting grant funds from the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to renew a software subscription used for continuity-of-operations planning across the county and its jurisdictions.
County officials said the subscription holds continuity plans for multiple jurisdictions in a centralized system so counties and cities can understand each other’s critical functions and mutual needs during multi-jurisdictional emergencies. Blanca Caballero, assistant county manager, told the board the software is “used for continuity of operations planning, and it provides the software for all of the jurisdictions in Maricopa County to create a lot of these plans that they need in the event of an emergency.”
Mitch Lachowicz, interim director of the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management, said the system lets local jurisdictions document what their critical functions are, how long they can operate if infrastructure is lost, and how they plan to respond. “It really is about trying to link those systems so that if there is an impact across a different set of jurisdictions, we have an understanding of how they intend to respond,” Lachowicz said.
Supervisor Stewart asked whether the software helps jurisdictions communicate in real time; Lachowicz confirmed the system supports coordination and situational awareness of critical functions across jurisdictions. Caballero and Lachowicz said schools, local law enforcement and fire departments use similar emergency-operation plans, and the centralized software helps align those plans across agencies.
The board moved and seconded approval of item 41; the motion passed unanimously.
County officials said the renewal is funded through the Arizona Department of Homeland Security grant program and that the software supports continuity planning rather than purchasing communications hardware or other equipment.
