Lake County pursues grants to lower upfront cost of ProQA emergency medical dispatch software

Lake County staff told the 911 Authority Jan. 9 they want to buy ProQA emergency medical dispatch (EMD) software but will seek outside funding to reduce the board’s upfront cost.

Sarah said the ProQA initial cost is roughly $99,132 and that the proposal requests a minimum $20,000 contribution from the South Central Healthcare Coalition, which has funds that must be spent by July 1. If the coalition provides $20,000 and the authority secures a separate grant Jackie flagged, the board’s initial outlay would drop to about $79,000. Sarah said annual costs after the first year are expected to be in the $20,000–$20,400 range for years two through five under the vendor’s pricing discussed at the meeting.

Sarah and board members argued that ProQA would fill a current capability gap: Lake County is the only county in the South Central region without EMD capabilities, and staff said EMD improves prehospital care and patient outcomes. Jackie confirmed there are federal grant funds managed by regional partners; she said grant rules may include match requirements and that available funding timing and amounts are not yet finalized.

Board members asked staff to pursue coalition and grant funding before asking the authority to cover any unbudgeted expense. Sarah said she will circulate the proposal and the grant application for review before submission.

No procurement decision was made at the meeting; staff will return with grant outcomes and any recommendation for board funding if outside sources fall short.