Board to consider software upgrade for 911 computers
August 19, 2012
By CARL SMITH
sdnnews@bellsouth.net
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors is expected to take the final step necessary to update its county 911 emergency system by approving a software upgrade purchase for dispatchers’ computer systems at its 5:30 p.m. Monday meeting at the courthouse.
County Administrator Don Posey said the upgrade will cost the county roughly $75,000 and will link together mapping and informational data collected by the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District during the countywide inventory process for the new county addressing system. County 911 systems currently cannot support the files developed during the process.
“Not only will the upgrade link the mapping work, but it will also link other data — sheriff’s office and justice court warrant information, for example,” Posey said. “We should be able to finish the upgrade by the first of October (if approved for the purchase).”
Jim Britt, Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency director, said the upgrade will allow dispatchers to fully integrate the new county addressing system listings instead of officials cross-referencing old addresses with new locations when emergency calls are placed.
“Technology keeps moving forward all the time, and we do the best we can as far as trying to keep up with it,” he said. “This version of the software allows more flexibility and gives our operators more tools at hand. I hope its a big step forward for our 911 system.”
No other major issues are scheduled for discussion Monday. In an agenda obtained Friday, only smaller items, including payment approvals and tax abatement requests, were scheduled for discussion.
