Commissioners approve software contract

County commissioners approved a contract Tuesday that furthers the revamping of the county’s 911 dispatch system.

Marked for $155,004, the contract is between the county and New World Systems for a software suite used in the mobile component of the computer-aided dispatch system. Centre County 911 Director Dale Neff said the contract represents the ongoing initiative to upgrade the CAD for call handling.

“This dynamically allows the communication center to exchange information with police officers in the field through hand-held devices so they can have instantaneous access to information to keep them safe,” Neff said.

As dispatch gets information from a caller or the scene, the information can be transferred to a mobile device to the responding officers, he said, so they can have a better idea of the encounter they are responding to. In addition, it gives access to a nationwide license plate database as well as a wanted person database.

In the call center, he said, dispatchers have the advantage of automatic vehicle locations, allowing them to select the closest officer to an emergency. It also offers countywide communication between all officers.

All municipal departments dispatched by the CAD will have access to the service, he said, as well as the county sheriff’s office. The contract covers only software, as it’s assumed the departments will be providing the hardware to their officers.

In other business, commissioners approved an additional $179,675 change order to the Temple Court construction project, citing a change in the scope of the work.

Originally, Vice Chairman Chris Exarchos said, the plan was to renovate the top floors and leave the first floor open to rent. When they decided they needed the first floor space, the first floor needed to be refit to accommodate the space needed.

The project is expected to be finished around late December or early January, he said.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Commissioners approve software contract."