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WARREN -- The Trumbull County Commissioners are reviewing a proposal that would move the county's 911 Center to a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that will allow it to better communicate with police departments throughout the county.
Sundance Systems Inc. of Valley View, near Cleveland, has a CAD system being used by several Trumbull County communities.
Liberty police Chief Ray Buhala, representing Trumbull County police chiefs, said there is a need to integrate the Trumbull County 911 CAD system with systems already being used by county law enforcement agencies and fire departments.
"One of the main roadblocks that we've had between the county's 911 center and the local police and fire departments is that the CAD systems are not interoperable," he said. "Having them being able to communicate directly with one another would save a lot of time. It saves a lot of time and details being missed."
Buhala said having one CAD system that allows all the agencies to communicate seamlessly will improve response times, better communicate what is happening live on the scene during emergency calls and will, eventually, cost less to operate.
He noted that Hubbard, Bazetta and LIberty are using Sundance Systems Inc.'s CAD Systems software and equipment.
Buhala said Sundance Systems Inc. has a cloud-based software program, as opposed to others that are server based.
Trumbull County 911 Director Tacy McDonough noted the first year contract with Sundance Systems Inc. will be about $306,680. Afterward, the annual costs will drop to about $188,880 per year.
"This is about an $8,000 a year increase to what we are paying ID Network under its maintenance contract," McDonough said, telling commissioners during their Tuesday workshop that her department can absorb that amount.
McDonough told commissioners that the center's contract with ID Network will remain in place over the next year. The current contract with ID Network is for maintenance of the current CAD system.
"We will absorb that no matter what," McDonough said. "To start with Sundance, we will need $76,670, which would be the first payment to get the ball rolling."
Commissioner Tony Bernard expressed concern that if the county goes with Sundance and still has a year remaining on its contract with ID Network, the company will take its time setting up the new system.
"They will not be in a hurry to move it forward," he said.
McDonough noted she is OK with the county contracting with Sundance.
"If everyone is on board then it makes sense for us also to be on board," she said. "Let's give it a shot. We will have interoperability where everyone will be able to see everything across the board."
McDonough agreed there eventually will be cost savings, if not immediate savings.