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Board funds one-year contract to keep 911 cradlepoint units running while IT pursues 5G upgrade
Summary
Board members agreed to a roughly $150,000, one-year contract to keep cradlepoint units operational through June 2027 while county IT develops a plan to replace units with 5G-capable devices; IT said a full inventory of device ownership and carrier is required before any large-scale upgrade.
The acting chair reported that, after conversations with Assistant Chief Williams and county IT, the board approved funding for a one-year contract to maintain cradlepoint devices used in fire-company apparatus. The acting chair said the one-year contract ' funded at about $150,000 ' will keep devices running through June 2027 and provide breathing room while the county and fire service plan next steps.
County IT General Manager John Yearley told the group he believes a 5G upgrade is the best long-term option but that the project will require a complete inventory of which vehicles hold cradlepoint units, who owns each device, and which cellular carrier each device uses. "We can replace all the equipment, update everything to the latest 5G' and have a 4-year extension on everything with grant funds," Yearley said, adding that grant pursuit and an inventory will be needed before moving forward.
Board members asked staff to convene a workshop with chiefs and IT to align on inventory collection, carrier differences (county service currently uses T-Mobile), and grant opportunities. Officials noted that some vehicles use carriers other than the county's T-Mobile contract, which will affect procurement and compatibility.
