Emergency communications in Jefferson County could get a reboot after the board of the Metropolitan Emergency Communication Association, commonly known as MECA, approved a recommendation to buy a $364,887 computer-aided dispatch and mobile computer-aided dispatch system from Motorola.
Karen Blevins, director of the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management, said the system will provide the association, which handles emergency communications for eight area law enforcement agencies and 16 fire departments, with an upgrade to its aging system, which was bought in 2007.
Motorola representatives were on hand at Thursday's board meeting to go over the system and explain its features, such as fully integrated system modules that simplify data access; and premises and hazardous materials information for police and firefighters needing building layout information or information on hazardous materials that may be on a site.
It also provides radio status integration that identifies individual units and talk groups to dispatchers, among other features. The computer-aided dispatch software, the representatives explained, is part of a larger suite of software designed to integrate a number of systems into a single source database called Flex Integration.
Motorola regional manager Doug Hut explained the company's Flex system, which he said integrates systems for computer-aided dispatch, records management, jail management, geographic information, analytics, fire and mobile communications, and has the capability of sharing data though all system modules. It also features a single sign-in portal to access all systems, he said.
"The idea is that we have one platform that spans all those needs and connects the radio systems," Hut said. "The benefit is that over time, the user interface and all of the architecture will be built on the same platform."
The proposal included the software for the CAD and CAD interfaces and data exchange hub, listed as the primary suites, at a discounted price of $191,243. Hardware and services included a primary and backup server and CAD data conversion listed for $86,810. The software for the mobile CAD and mobile automatic vehicle location was listed for $112,026 and was discounted to $86,834.
The mobile software included in the package would equip the Jefferson County sheriff's office, police departments in Pine Bluff, White Hall and Redfield, and the Pine Bluff Fire Department with mobile CAD capability for all the vehicles in each department.
The different agencies would be responsible for supplying hardware such as computer terminals, laptops and radios to be integrated into the system.
The proposal included two purchase options; a five-year lease option at a cost of $108,097 a year, including a maintenance package for the term of the lease, and an outright purchase for the discounted price of $364,887, which included a one-year maintenance package. The estimated cost beginning in the second year for the maintenance package was $32,976.
The maintenance package, Hut said, was designed to keep the software current with future demands and changing service needs.
"We want you to be using the latest and greatest software we have," he said. "Maintenance includes all of your upgrades and enhancements so that in five years, you are running the latest and greatest stuff the industry has to offer."
Hut noted that the software purchase includes training in the use of the new system.
Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington, chairman of the MECA Board, asked if the county would eventually be able to use more of the Flex Integrated Hub to help the different agencies take advantage of the analytic and record management capabilities of the system.
"I understand these upgrades will enhance efficiency and move us to a unified single source database," Washington said. "Is it going to eventually move over to where we need to interface with the fire and police department more fully?"
"We would like to start talking to the fire and police departments, the sheriff's department and the jail, and see what they're doing today," Hut said. "We want to make sure we understand what you do today so that we can tailor the system to meet your needs."
After approval by the board, Blevins said the matter will go to the Jefferson County Quorum Court for consideration, and if approved, installation of the new system would be completed 12-14 months after the contract is signed.
After the meeting, Blevins said the current CAD system lacks features and has become balky and prone to glitches, sometimes freezing up and requiring the operator to shut down and restart the system.
"If you enter the wrong date or something like that, it will completely freeze the system," she said. "And there's not a lot of integration with other systems we have, so the new software will be a lot more useful."