West Wendover to adopt Total Response call-taking software; board approves first-year implementation funding

Elko County's Enhanced 911 Board voted May 7 to approve a separate service agreement and funding to add the city of West Wendover to the Total Response call-taking platform. Staff said West Wendover cannot be added to the county's existing service agreement and needs a separate contract.

"I make a motion to approve the total response program, for a 1st year implementation of $53,598," Board member Matt Peterson said while moving the item. Presenters described faster call-taking from clicks in the software compared with older flip-card processes and said RapidSOS remains the platform used for text-to-911. The board approved the implementation after discussion; staff said ongoing yearly costs were estimated in the $6,700 (software maintenance), $2,800 (training/response) range and the overall ongoing cost would be about $9,500 per year.

West Wendover staff reported improved performance after the upgrade and said staffing levels are improving with one dispatcher in training and another starting next month. The board said the move would improve interoperability because shared practices and common platforms help transfer protocols between centers.