Park County 911 Communications Center

http://www.parkco.us/bids.aspx?bidID=2

Here is a link to the bid for the new 911 COMM Center for Park County...note the date it was made public and bids were requested (July 14, 2010). Check the timeline of this bid criteria and the selection of contractor(s). Also, note the date that the construction is due to start by/on (Oct. 4, 2010).

So...here is my question. Fred puts out the request for the new 911 COMM Center 2 days ago and is now going to push to get the bids in, the decisions made by him and the construction to begin on or before October 4th???? He and our current commisioners et al are going to pen whip this through and then the new sheriff who I feel 125% positive WILL be our new sheriff not FRED will have what recourse to stop this taxpayer expenditure without looking at taking this to the jail itself and using the unused space there? They will have signed the contracts which will be binding etc. and here we go with another of Fred's stick it to the taxpayers overspending. Notwithstanding the expenditures which Fred can't explain today and this on his salary as Sheriff of Park County...things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

ColoradoXprss wrote: www.parkco.us/bids.aspx?bidID=2

Here is a link to the bid for the new 911 COMM Center for Park County...note the date it was made public and bids were requested (July 14, 2010). Check the timeline of this bid criteria and the selection of contractor(s). Also, note the date that the construction is due to start by/on (Oct. 4, 2010).

So...here is my question. Fred puts out the request for the new 911 COMM Center 2 days ago and is now going to push to get the bids in, the decisions made by him and the construction to begin on or before October 4th???? He and our current commisioners et al are going to pen whip this through and then the new sheriff who I feel 125% positive WILL be our new sheriff not FRED will have what recourse to stop this taxpayer expenditure without looking at taking this to the jail itself and using the unused space there? They will have signed the contracts which will be binding etc. and here we go with another of Fred's stick it to the taxpayers overspending. Notwithstanding the expenditures which Fred can't explain today and this on his salary as Sheriff of Park County...things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

Do we need a 911 communications center!? In Park County!?

Good Question!

Nope! It can be farmed out. Other small counties are saving by farming out to larger counties. A month ago, I talked to a senior deputy who laughed about the new center. He went as far as to say that the 11 comm officers there are, "a joke... and are worthless."

God forbid, Michael does not get elected. The only control on the Sheriff's budget would be to elect new commissioners and outsource the patrol division. Heck, Fred would then be the most expense "JAILER!"

AV8OR - have you ever listened to the scanner? I have the utmost respect for the 911 operators/dispatchers in Park County based on what I hear on the scanner on a daily basis.

Does Park County need a Communications Center? Per the RFP "The building is to provide exterior and internal security for staff to work in the combination 911 dispatch, IT Data Center, and EOC Emergency Center facility with limited public access."

The answer is Yes.

Currently, the 911 Communications and Information Technology Departments' personnel are housed in a 24 x 60 foot modular, located near the condemned McNamara Building. Most of the computer equipment, including the system servers, remains in the McNamara Building. The modular's roof snow load capacity is 40 pounds, instead of the Town of Fairplay's required 60 pounds. The town agreed to waive the snow load capacity requirement for the modular (preceeding information from articles in the Flume).

Park County currently has no area available for an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which provides the facilities for coordination of the various agencies/organizations involved in any large scale emergency, such as Platte Canyon High School, the recent South Park blizzard, wildfires, flash flooding, etc.

With a county such as Park, which covers a relatively large geographical area with a relatively small population, it is especially important to have an EOC, because any large scale emergency will inevitably include response from agencies/organizations in both the local area and the surrounding counties, as well as possibly State and Federal.

Park County's 911 Dispatch covers approximately 22,000 square miles, with 'features' such as randomly (and multiply) named roads which makes it very difficult for agencies/organizations outside of the area to respond to an incident without local assistance - in fact, it is difficult for the local agencies/organizations.

I will not comment regarding where/how that Communications Center should be built, as I do not have sufficient information.

I absolutely agree that Comm needs safer quarters! It's a disgrace what they have had to work in over the years! Okay, I have heard that the projected cost for a brand new building will be $2.5 million. And it is now obvious that that is the route they are going to take. At the last debate, Fred said it is "cost prohibitive" to have one of the pods, in the jail, remodeled to house Comm. BUT, what does that mean? Will it cost more than $2.5 million?? Has he actually gotten bids on it to compare: remodel vs. new? He never explains himself. Just throws out remarks. Looks like this bidding process got started prior to the debate Wed. night. Hmmmmm.....Fred didn't even mention it at the debate.

I find the timing on all of this very interesting and the fact that Fred didn't expand on his comments regarding either. If they are asking for bids now are the bids for changing a pod or just building a new center and did they even get bids for changing a pod? (sorry, I haven't clicked the link yet. Still digesting the budget and visa bills and trying to keep up with all the posts in both places...I don't think I multi-task at work this much!)

John Tighe is adamant that a new building will be built. The commissioners have stated that they will not get bids for retro-fitting the jail. I think he wants it to be his legacy -- The John Tighe Memorial Communications Center. As big as his ego.

It cracks me up. They say (and I agree) that the comm center must be secure, etc. How much more secure could it be if it were housed in the jail???

Vice Lord wrote: Do we need a 911 communications center!? In Park County!?

Or a SWAT team, for that matter. My goodness, Barney Fife must be running things. All government employees think that they must have everything "top drawer".