County staff outline options to replace Code Red; HQ integration with sirens quoted at $37,122

Jackson County emergency management staff briefed the commission Jan. 28 on options to replace the county's Code Red mass notification system after loss of vendor FEMA certification. Staff presented a proposal from HQ to integrate mass notifications with the county’s outdoor warning siren system; the first‑year integration price quoted was $37,122.14, roughly $13,000 more than a basic quote that would not include siren integration.

EMA staff said integrating the mass‑notification platform with sirens requires additional hardware for older encoders and would allow staff to trigger outdoor warnings remotely rather than physically being in the emergency operations center. Staff reported current resident enrollment in the notification system at about 12,620 people; year‑two costs after onboarding were reported in the meeting as approximately $21,133 with a 4% annual increase thereafter.

Commissioners discussed enrollment numbers, resiliency (how the system connects to sirens and redundancy if internet or towers fail), and budgeted amounts. County staff said the vendor had temporarily provided access while the county transitions and recommended the commission move the item to new business for a formal decision at a later meeting.

Next steps: staff will place the mass notification procurement on the next meeting business agenda for further discussion and potential vote; commissioners asked staff to provide cost comparisons and clarify budget impacts ahead of the decision.