The Bartlett city board has accepted a $181,500 grant from Shelby County 911 Emergency Communications District as part of a larger project of dispatch equipment and software that began almost two years ago.
The grant required that Bartlett purchase the equipment and software and then submit reimbursement requests to the Shelby County 911 Board.
The city board approved the project in August 2012 and received reimbursement in two phases:
- Shelby 911’s initial grant was for $1,059,387 to purchase and install Vision Air Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) equipment and software.
- The additional $181,500 accepted on at the March 11 meeting of the city board was for the Backup Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
Dick Phebus, city finance director, explained the origin of the funds: Communications providers pay 911 fees to the state, which awards grants to individual 911 districts. Funds are given out based on population.
The Vision Air CAD equipment and software give emergency personnel greater access to information so dispatchers and field people can interact and respond better, and the courts also have some access to the information. The Backup PSAP is a standalone backup dispatching system that is operated at a remote location.
“The Vision Air CAD has been a work in progress since November 2012 and is now substantially complete,” Phebus said. “Bartlett dispatch still has some computer interface issues to resolve, but we are hopeful the project can be completed by mid to late summer.”
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138 or carolyn.bahm@journalinc.com.
