IT recommends vendor 'C1' for courthouse panic buttons; commission to consider at business meeting

At a Feb. 23 work session, the county’s IT director recommended that the commission consider vendor 'C1' for panic‑button systems at the courthouse and the courthouse annex, citing integration options and lower long‑term cloud subscription costs.

The IT director presented two vendor quotes and described tradeoffs: one vendor had higher upfront hardware costs but lower annual cloud fees, while the other had lower upfront costs but higher recurring cloud fees. The IT director said the lower‑cost option’s one‑year cloud fee is $1,231 and that the competing vendor’s cloud cost runs roughly three times higher (the IT director cited approximately $4,000). He said the hardware carries a 10‑year warranty and that, over a five‑year horizon, the higher‑upfront/lower‑annual‑fee option becomes less expensive by years four to five. He recommended C1 for its lower recurring costs and for future compatibility with lockdown and camera integrations.

Commissioners asked about cellular coverage and contract length; the IT director said equipment can fall back to cellular if Wi‑Fi is unavailable and noted that a three‑year contract is typical for related services. The presentation closed as a work‑session recommendation; the IT director and presiding official said no motion was required at that session and that the matter would come to the business meeting for formal action.