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County considers Active911 subscriptions, comms upgrades and EMS equipment needs
Summary
Emergency management asked the commission to fund Active911 licenses and Active911 comms for responders and recommended starting a reserve for an 800 MHz tower (estimated $1.3M+). EMS staff also requested monitors, stair chairs, laptops and station HVAC work; many purchases would be pursued with grant support.
Emergency management presented a proposal to purchase Active911 software and Active911 comms, requesting licenses for roughly 250 responders so volunteer fire, EMS and law-enforcement personnel can receive map-based pre-alerts and respond via their cell phones. The presenter said subscriptions have been paid from county sales tax in the past and recommended standardizing subscriptions for all emergency services.
The presenter described Active911’s operational benefits: precise map locations for callers (helpful when callers use cell phones and give uncertain location details) and the ability for remote responders to indicate “en route” without an expensive mobile radio.
The department also recommended beginning to set aside funds for a future 800 MHz tower to improve coverage in areas with poor radio reception, noting an estimated cost of $1.3 million or more and that tower construction would likely require multi-year funding and possibly contributions by municipalities or fire districts.
Separately, EMS staff reviewed equipment requests: two Zoll cardiac monitors (list cost cited at $95,340 without grants and $23,835 if craft grant awarded for part), new powered stair chairs to move very large patients, laptops for report writing in vehicles, and station HVAC/repair work at Marion station (an example budget item of $25,000 was mentioned as a placeholder). EMS leaders said they will pursue grant funding where possible (Patterson and other grants were named) and asked commissioners to prioritize monitors and stair chairs.
No vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to pursue grant options and consider how to fund Active911 subscriptions and a long-term communications reserve.
