Board approves AT&T contract to move Lorain County 9‑1‑1 toward next‑gen cloud system

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 19 authorized a contract with AT&T totaling approximately $4.49 million for a next‑generation 9‑1‑1 upgrade to the county’s Motorola Vesta call handling system.

County dispatch leadership told commissioners the cloud‑based solution will support automatic transcription/translation, GIS‑based call routing, and the receipt of photos and video from callers. Officials said those features can save critical seconds during emergency responses and improve situational awareness for first responders.

AT&T and Motorola representatives said the network will be a closed, zero‑trust environment that can integrate with the statewide ESInet migration planned for next year. The vendor highlighted cybersecurity alignment and a hosted approach intended to reduce on‑premise maintenance and improve resilience.

Commissioners who asked about cybersecurity were told the solution includes closed‑network safeguards and that the county’s ongoing cybersecurity plan will align with the new PSAP architecture. The board approved the contract after the vendor presentations and discussion of features and funding sources.

Officials said the annual payment will be paid from the 9‑1‑1 contractual services account and the contract runs through Dec. 31, 2030; staff noted integrated features such as translation and video upload that can reduce response time.