JerGoTV3
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2004
- Messages
- 173
Not really about listening...more about where it comes from.
Interesting, though.
County tables new 911 phone system plan
By Gareth McGrath
Staff Writer
gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com
The New Hanover County Commissioners on Monday agreed to spend $246,000 to purchase workstations for the county’s new 911 center and almost $124,000 to extend water to homes in the Blossom Ferry area.
Although the workstations were approved, a new phone system for the 911 center was tabled until next month after some county officials raised concerns about the reliability of the recommended communication suite.
Emergency officials said they have confidence in the system, which uses Internet-protocol technology.
But 911 Center Director Steve Smith said he didn’t mind waiting a month to bring the proposed $655,000 contract before the commissioners. He said that would allow officials to gather more information about the “Viper” system from Canada-based Positron, the manufacturer, and from current users.
At Thursday’s pre-agenda meeting, Commissioner Bill Caster asked about the system’s reliability since it was a relatively new technology.
“Since we are prone to hurricanes here, we don’t want any hiccups,” he said.
Although a small county in South Carolina uses the system, New Hanover County would be the first user in North Carolina.
The county also would be installing a new version of the system, which is projected to become the standard backbone of future emergency communication systems.
Caster said that while he supported the county being on the technological cutting edge, he didn’t want New Hanover to be a test market for the communication system.
Smith said he had faith in the system and noted that although Positron’s bid was significantly lower than those of BellSouth and Sprint, all three companies submitted systems based on the same product.
The proposed contract with Positron also includes substantial technical support, including guaranteeing maintenance costs for the next five years.
Smith also said that the center’s past communication problems have been largely been the result of issues with phone lines to the center rather than communications within the center.
A 50-cent 911 surcharge on cellular and traditional phone lines will help fund the equipment purchase.
Construction on the $1.8 million building that will house the 911 center and county Emergency Management is nearly finished at the rear of Marketplace Mall.
Officials hope to have the center up and running by late spring, and Smith said tabling the communication contract until January shouldn’t delay that.
County Emergency Management Director Warren Lee said he hopes to be able to move his operations into the new building in early spring, well before the June 1 start of the 2006 hurricane season.
Smith also said that the county hopes to use the surplus workstations from the existing 911 center to establish a backup emergency center on the third floor of the downtown BellSouth building.
Interesting, though.
County tables new 911 phone system plan
By Gareth McGrath
Staff Writer
gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com
The New Hanover County Commissioners on Monday agreed to spend $246,000 to purchase workstations for the county’s new 911 center and almost $124,000 to extend water to homes in the Blossom Ferry area.
Although the workstations were approved, a new phone system for the 911 center was tabled until next month after some county officials raised concerns about the reliability of the recommended communication suite.
Emergency officials said they have confidence in the system, which uses Internet-protocol technology.
But 911 Center Director Steve Smith said he didn’t mind waiting a month to bring the proposed $655,000 contract before the commissioners. He said that would allow officials to gather more information about the “Viper” system from Canada-based Positron, the manufacturer, and from current users.
At Thursday’s pre-agenda meeting, Commissioner Bill Caster asked about the system’s reliability since it was a relatively new technology.
“Since we are prone to hurricanes here, we don’t want any hiccups,” he said.
Although a small county in South Carolina uses the system, New Hanover County would be the first user in North Carolina.
The county also would be installing a new version of the system, which is projected to become the standard backbone of future emergency communication systems.
Caster said that while he supported the county being on the technological cutting edge, he didn’t want New Hanover to be a test market for the communication system.
Smith said he had faith in the system and noted that although Positron’s bid was significantly lower than those of BellSouth and Sprint, all three companies submitted systems based on the same product.
The proposed contract with Positron also includes substantial technical support, including guaranteeing maintenance costs for the next five years.
Smith also said that the center’s past communication problems have been largely been the result of issues with phone lines to the center rather than communications within the center.
A 50-cent 911 surcharge on cellular and traditional phone lines will help fund the equipment purchase.
Construction on the $1.8 million building that will house the 911 center and county Emergency Management is nearly finished at the rear of Marketplace Mall.
Officials hope to have the center up and running by late spring, and Smith said tabling the communication contract until January shouldn’t delay that.
County Emergency Management Director Warren Lee said he hopes to be able to move his operations into the new building in early spring, well before the June 1 start of the 2006 hurricane season.
Smith also said that the county hopes to use the surplus workstations from the existing 911 center to establish a backup emergency center on the third floor of the downtown BellSouth building.
