Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nextgen 911 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NextGen 911 briefing prompts staffing and VOCA recovery follow-ups; board approves part-time dispatcher hire
Summary
Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority representative Treba Rogers briefed the board on NextGen 911 requirements and grant opportunities; the VOCA office requested insurance funds to replace fire-damaged equipment; the board approved hiring Kay Breonna Bonds as a part-time 911 dispatcher pending drug and alcohol screening.
Treba Rogers of the Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority briefed the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors on elements and deadlines for NextGen 911, telling the board the state has passed legislation and that FCC requirements make the upgrade unavoidable. Rogers said counties will need CAD systems, mapping and validated addressing, and that many upgrades will require fiber and equipment installations; she emphasized grant funding availability from the CMRS (Commercial Mobile Radio Services) fund for eligible projects but warned that counties with multiple PSAPs are at a disadvantage for certain grants unless they consolidate or otherwise align systems.
Rogers said the final NextGen 911 deadline is 2030 and that municipalities and counties should begin planning and ordering equipment well in advance; she said earlier phases will start in 2027–2028 and noted that AT&T installations alone carry a six-month minimum lead time.
Separately, a representative of the VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) department asked the board to allocate a portion of insurance proceeds received after a building fire to replace damaged computers, furniture and other equipment; the VOCA representative asked the board for a monetary estimate and the board asked VOCA to present estimated costs at the next meeting before action.
On staffing, the board accepted the sheriff’s recommendation to hire Kay Breonna Bonds as a part-time 911 dispatcher (conditional on successful drug and alcohol screening) at the wage listed in the personnel item. The motion to accept the hiring recommendation was moved by Supervisor Odom and seconded by Supervisor Hudson and the board carried the motion.
