Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve $5,000 9-1-1 training contract line, discuss aging center and $15,000 battery backup
Summary
The commission approved a $5,000 transfer for a 9-1-1 simulator contract and discussed broader funding pressures at the county 9-1-1 center, including a battery backup failure estimated at about $15,000 and an annual center budget reported at roughly $1,045,540.
The board approved a $5,000 transfer into contractual services for a proposed 9-1-1 training and simulation contract that the EMA/9-1-1 director described as a three- to five-year purchase option. The director (identified in the record as Will) said the vendor’s contract includes a clause that allows the county to decline the contract if funds are not appropriated, and recommended attorney review before signature.
Will described features of the product and its quality-assurance component, noting it could grade calls against national standards and include pre-hire assessments at no extra charge. The chair raised longer-term concerns about 9-1-1 funding and said the center’s annual budget is roughly $1,045,540. The chair also reported a recent failure of the center’s main battery backup and said replacement cost is about $15,000: “That battery backup isn’t like one hooked to your computer … it’s $15,000 to replace it.”
Commissioners approved the immediate $5,000 transfer with a unanimous vote and urged follow-up conversations with municipal partners and continued monitoring of the center’s capital and operating needs. Staff flagged that the county has absorbed more dispatching responsibilities and that conversations with cities will be necessary to identify sustainable funding.
The motion carried and staff were asked to return with budget options and any required contract review before execution.
