Subject:
Title
Application to receive E911 trust fund monies from the State of Florida for equipment refresh for Vesta E911 phone system.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the application certifying that monies received from the State of Florida will be used to refresh and upgrade the existing E911 system that supports St. Petersburg Police Department and Clearwater Police Department secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAPs) as well as the backup center for the primary PSAP, the Regional 911 Center.
• The current E9-1-1 Vesta system hardware and workstations are at the end of life, and the software requires an upgrade.
• This refresh and upgrade are required to prevent the degradation of the system as it ages beyond its end of life.
• State E911 grant funds exist to assist in funding these costs.
• This grant request will fund the purchase of all required equipment, workstations, and the first year of maintenance and support for the Vesta E-91-1 system that supports the receipt and processing of 911 calls for St Petersburg and Clearwater.
• State of Florida requires application to be submitted no later than June 14, 2024.
• If approved by the State of Florida E911 Board, grant funds of $1,918,398.20 will be provided on a cost reimbursement basis with no grant match required. This grant was not anticipated during the development of the Fiscal Year 2024 Adopted Budget; therefore, if approved, a budget resolution would be requested to recognize and appropriate the funds into the Emergency Communications E911 System Fund. Since this is not budgeted, no funds will be offset if the grant is awarded.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe
and secure community
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.3 Ensure effective and efficient delivery of county services and support
Summary:
The State Grant Program is provided to assist Florida counties with the provision of enhanced 911 systems including the purchase and maintenance of E9-1-1 call handling systems such as this Vesta system. The E911 Board assists eligible counties through the E911 State Grant Program using E911 trust fund monies.
The application requires approval and signature from the Board of County Commissioners.
Background/Explanation:
The Pinellas County Regional 911 Center acts as the steward of all 911 Fee funding for Pinellas County including the five secondary PSAPs.
Grant monies received will be used for procurement, project management, replacement, installation, and testing of new computers, servers, software, and other technical equipment for the two of the County’s secondary PSAPs, St Petersburg PD and Clearwater PD, and the backup center for the primary PSAP, the Regional 911 Center. This upgrade will ensure 911 services are not interrupted due to 5-year-old equipment that is operating 24 hours 7 days a week. This project complies with the recommendations and requirements specified in the State E911 Plan providing geodiversity and redundancy.
Fiscal Impact:
Grant funds of $1,918,398.20 shall be provided on a cost reimbursement basis if the application is approved by the State of Florida E911 Board. No matching funds are associated with this grant. This grant was not anticipated during the development of the FY24 Adopted Budget. Therefore, if approved, a budget resolution would be required to recognize and appropriate the funds into the Emergency Communications E911 System Fund.
Staff Member Responsible:
Judith Weshinskey-Price, Director, Regional 911 Division
James Fogarty, Bureau Director, Safety and Emergency Services
Partners:
State of Florida, E911 Board
Attachments:
Application for the E911 State Grant Program
OMB Approval of E911 Grant Application