St. Joseph council substitutes First Due contract in fire department budget amendment

The St. Joseph City Council unanimously approved an amended ordinance Sept. 2 to amend the fire department’s general fund budget and substitute a new subscription agreement with First Due (Ocalde Media Inc.). The council voted 9–0 to amend the bill and then again 9–0 to pass the bill as amended.

The clerk summarized the ordinance as authorizing a $64,753 amendment to the general fund fire department budget to support a subscription agreement with Ocalde Media Inc., DBA First Due, shown in the clerk’s reading as $62,273 for the subscription and $2,480 for a CAD export interface installation by Tyler Technologies. The ordinance description said the solution is an "all-in-one" technology intended to streamline processes, enhance operations and provide faster emergency response, including CAD export interface installation services.

Council member Eslinger moved to amend the bill by substituting the new agreement with First Due; Council member Novak seconded. The amendment and the subsequent vote on the bill as amended passed 9–0.

The ordinance language as read focused on operational improvements for the fire department and implementation support. No additional details about contract terms, ongoing annual costs beyond the subscription amount read into the record, or vendor selection rationale were discussed during the meeting.

The clerk’s reading included the financial figures as shown above. The transcript contains minor numeric transcription anomalies elsewhere on the agenda; the council did not further clarify whether the figures as read required correction during the meeting. The ordinance was adopted as amended; the council did not specify an implementation timeline or reporting requirements in the public reading.