Bonner County approves dispatch maintenance contract and an IPAWS wireless-alert memorandum

Bonner County commissioners approved two public-safety items at their Feb. 24 meeting: a one-year maintenance contract for the county's Zetron Max dispatch system and a memorandum of agreement enabling the county 911 center to send geographically targeted wireless emergency alerts.

Sheriff Darryl Wheeler presented the first item, a one-year maintenance agreement with Recon for the Zetron Max dispatch hardware and software at a stated cost of $27,984.66, to be paid from a dedicated account rather than the general fund. A commissioner moved to approve the contract "based on the information before us," the motion was seconded, and the board passed it by roll call.

On the second item, the sheriff described a three-year IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) memorandum of agreement that would permit the county's 911 center to issue wireless emergency alerts that target geographic areas. When a commissioner asked whether the service is subscription-based or opt-in, Sheriff Wheeler said it is not a subscription service: alerts are sent automatically to devices in the identified geographic area. "It's not a new system. We've had that system with Everbridge," he said, adding that the agreement before the board is with a different provider that likewise allows tower-based geographic targeting.

Sheriff Wheeler said there were no costs associated with the IPAWS agreement. The board voted to approve the memorandum and authorized the county to sign administratively.

What happens next: The maintenance contract will be paid from the stated account and the county 911 center will be able to send geographically targeted wireless alerts under the IPAWS memorandum; operational details and any further implementation steps will be handled administratively by sheriff's office staff.