CodeRED outage prompts vendor review; siren grant and safe room remain pending with FEMA
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Summary
Emergency management staff reported a cyber incident that temporarily disabled the county's CodeRED emergency-notification system and said they are evaluating other vendors. Mitigation grants for seven sirens (obligated in 2023) and a proposed safe room at Northlake remain under review; costs have risen and FEMA has not yet obligated the safe-room grant.
During the meeting, Speaker 6 provided an update from the county's emergency management office, saying the county's CodeRED notification system suffered a cyber-related outage that temporarily took the system offline. Speaker 6 said the office is evaluating whether to select a different vendor that can meet the county's needs and reported mixed responses from other jurisdictions about how their vendors handled similar outages.
Speaker 6 also summarized mitigation grants submitted in 2022: a multi-siren system (seven sirens) and a proposed safe room at Northlake. The siren grant was obligated in 2023, Speaker 6 said, but the cost of equipment has increased substantially, prompting staff to consider next steps; the safe-room grant has not been obligated by FEMA and remains pending. Speaker 6 said staff will return in the coming weeks with recommendations on whether to move forward with the grants or discontinue them given escalated costs.
The court also discussed the county's current contract with the CodeRED vendor (referred to as COBRA in the transcript) and asked staff to gather options and clarify whether the county can transition to an alternate provider and what the procurement implications would be. The Texas Department of Emergency Management has been involved; staff reported in-person visits to the county and ongoing coordination.