At the Oct. 2 work session, the Carroll County 9-1-1 users board recommended that Mission Critical Partners be contracted for an initial Phase 2 service to develop specifications and an RFP for a new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system at a quoted cost of $43,000.

Gary Thomas, a member of the CAD review committee, told commissioners Mission Critical Partners provided a quote for an end-to-end engagement: specification development, RFP drafting, vendor evaluation and implementation oversight. Thomas said the users board’s recommendation at this stage is limited to the specification and RFP development for CAD.

"At this point in time, the users board is recommending the item that you see under the first line of phase 2, the $43,000 for Mission Critical Partners to develop an RFP for the CAD," Thomas said.

Commissioners asked whether the county commission or the users board would carry responsibility for future cost discussions with the cities and other agencies that would use the CAD if the county selects a vendor. Thomas said he expects those funding and participation decisions would be made by the county commission after vendors are identified and cost estimates produced.

Commissioners also discussed optional record-management-system work that Mission Critical Partners quoted when law-enforcement partners raised integration problems. Thomas said the record-management work is separate and could be added before CAD implementation if the board and the cities agree.

The commission agreed to place the $43,000 RFP-development item on the consent agenda for the Oct. 7 meeting. Several commissioners asked for future budget information, including likely annual costs for training, staffing and potential ongoing vendor oversight, before committing to a full implementation.