Calhoun County 9-1-1 Board of Commissioners – August 19, 2021

• Meeting Called to Order
• Invocation
• Chief Sparks requested prayers and thoughts for the family of Lt. Justin Roberts of the Anniston Fire Department who passed on August 19, 2021.
• Roll Call of Members
  • Board Chairman – Chief Gary Sparks, Oxford Fire Department – Present
  • Board Vice-Chairman – Sheriff Matthew Wade, Calhoun County Sheriff Office – Present
  • Director Randy Reaves, Safety and Security, Calhoun County BOE – Present
  • Chief Van Roberts Sr., Quad Cities VFD (Retired) – Present
  • Trooper Herbert Palmore, ALDPS (Retired) – Not Present
  • Chief Shane Denham, Anniston Police Department (Retired) – Present
  • Calhoun County Administrator, Mark Tyner – Present
• Approval of Agenda – Unanimously Approved
  • Addition of LPFM Agreement with Oxford added,
• Approval of Minutes – Unanimously Approved
• Approval of Financial Reports – Unanimously Approved
  • Reports shows current expenditures less than expected and Revenue slightly higher than expected.
  • Overall projections and graphs are looking good.  
• Old Business
  • Ambulance RFP Update
    • Director Kevin Jenkins explained that, generally speaking, there are some concerns from EMS about the ability to recruit and retain basic EMT personnel.  Many hospitals are on diversion and hospitals are having difficulty getting patients received in. This creates the need for EMTs to stay with patients for longer periods of time and thereby remove them from the road. 
    • There are also concerns with the restrictions that the RFP has. The board suggested that if there are concerns, exceptions can be submitted and reviewed by the board. This will allow the proposal to move forward. The final approval vote is slated for September 23, 2021. 
  • Communications System Upgrade – Motion to table until next meeting – Unanimously Approved to Table
    • Motorola has provided the proposal for the upgrade. The cost is $5.9 million. This cost is to be shared amongst all the participating cities. Currently 5 cities are confirmed. The county commission has the largest portion totaling $2.3 million. The county has requested that a consultant be hired to determine if the investment is sound. Currently Anniston and Oxford have opted out of the study. Weaver and Jacksonville have not confirmed as of yet. Mark Tyner stated he would speak to the commission at the next meeting to give them an update on the status. 
    • Four bids have been received from consulting firms.
      • Buford Consulting – bid $62,300
      • Televate – bid $28,960 + $7,450
      • Mission Consulting – $19,610
      • Vigilance Consulting – $16, 465 
• New Business
  • FY22 Budget – tabled until September 23, 2021
  • Surplus Equipment (Plotter) – Unanimously Approved
    • 2 printers will be disposed of
    • Plotter will be donated to the Calhoun County Commission
• LPFM Agreement with Oxford – Unanimously Approved (Chairman Sparks abstained from the vote)
  • Agreement to use low powered FM radios to promote events. The cost is $20,000 for 5 years. To terminate agreement will require 30 written notice.
• Board Chairman / Director Comments – No comments
• Board Member Comments
  • Shane Denham noted that with the current COVID-19 situation it makes other matters seem trivial. 
• Adjournment – Unanimously Approved

Next Meeting Date: September 23, 2021