Orange County NC Website
13 <br /> efficiently respond to emergencies. Vehicles for the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services are <br /> included in the Vehicle Replacement project. <br /> • Bidirectional Antenna Systems for Schools- $800,000 <br /> Bidirectional Antenna (BDA) Systems improve interior building penetration for public safety <br /> radios. This coverage is essential during an emergency occurring in a school where the quality <br /> of radio coverage can suffer due to building construction standards. $1,836,000 has been <br /> authorized in FY2022-23 and FY 2023-24 to start the installations, and this additional funding <br /> is requested in FY2024-25 would complete those installations. <br /> In addition to improving coverage in the building, these BDA's will reduce the number of <br /> towers that would have been necessary to achieve countywide radio coverage in future years. <br /> • Communication System Improvements- $50,000 <br /> New technology is mandating the phased implementation of Time Division Multiple Access <br /> functionality to improve the overall capacity of the State's emergency responder radio <br /> system. TDMA compliance is required by 2025 to maintain access to the state managed VIPER <br /> radio system. <br /> The radio replacement process was initiated in 2004, and over $5 million has been allocated <br /> over time to ensure a consistent and modern radio platform for first responders. Specifically, <br /> this project replaces and/or upgrades portable radios in Emergency Services, the Sheriff's <br /> Office, and the Health Department. Funding in FY2024-25 of $50,000 will finalize the <br /> replacement and compliance plan, including replacement of the backup radios used in the <br /> 911 center. Future radio and replacement upgrades will be incorporated into the Emergency <br /> Services Renewal & Replacement project. <br /> • Emergency Services Renewal and Replacement-$593,205 <br /> The Emergency Services Renewal and Replacement Fund is used to replace mission critical <br /> Emergency Medical Services (EMS) equipment such as stair chairs, Lucas CPR devices, EMS <br /> treatment bags, and electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment. The department has developed a <br /> long-range recurring replacement schedule to forecast specific future needs which is <br /> represented in subsequent years of the CIP. <br /> • Public Safety Software Enhancements-$2,800,000 <br /> The FY2024-25 CIP recommends $2,300,000 to pay for the County's portion of the Computer <br /> Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and integration services between the public safety software <br /> systems. The CAD system allows the 911 Center to optimize first responder dispatch and to <br /> provide data to first responders in the field. <br /> The current CAD vendor is no longer providing meaningful development or adequate support <br /> for the County's current CAD product. The existing software was procured in 2013 and <br /> interfaces with systems utilized by all County law enforcement, Fire, and EMS agencies. This <br /> CAD replacement will be implemented within the Orange County 9-1-1 Center, County law <br /> Page 1 11 <br />