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9-1-1 director details mobile CAD rollout and modest contract addition for training
Summary
Caitlin Samsel, Berrien County’s 9-1-1 director, told commissioners the county began a phased mobile CAD rollout with five test agencies and aims to complete the countywide mobile rollout by Aug. 21; she also described a $3,300 annual subscription increase to add a 'comms coach' assessment and training module.
Caitlin Samsel, identified in the meeting as the county’s 9-1-1 director, gave a status report on the county’s mobile computer-aided dispatch (CAD) rollout, saying the project has entered a testing phase with five agencies — four fire departments and one EMS — and that the county plans to expand to all law-enforcement agencies after testing is complete. "We hope to have that done by August 21," Samsel said.
Samsel also described a proposed modification to the county’s subscription with a training and assessment provider to add a communications-coach module that includes quality-assurance simulations, pre-employment assessments and micro-learning for supervisors. She said the change would increase the county’s annual contract by $3,300, with a prorated charge for the current year, and argued the assessments will help the county avoid costly hiring mistakes: "It costs us approximately $40,000 to onboard and train someone," she said, so better screening and calibration will improve hiring and promotion confidence.
The administration thanked Samsel for the update and highlighted recent operational performance: during a July 3 storm the 9-1-1 center handled 239 calls in the first hour (the speaker noted a typical first-hour average of about 26), praise commissioners for the center’s response. The item was presented as an informational committee report; the director said a formal resolution to modify the subscription will appear at a future board meeting.
