Title
Chief Administrative Office, EMS and Preparedness Division, recommending the Board:
1) Approve funding for the Alert Media internal emergency communication tool to assist in distributing timely emergency notification and status information to County departments and employees, in the amount of $15,000 for the first year;
2) Authorize the purchasing agent to sign a three-year agreement for said communication tool; and
3) Approve the related budget transfer reducing the General Fund Appropriation for Contingency by $15,000 and increasing appropriations in the EMS Preparedness Division budget by $15,000. (4/5 vote required to approve the budget transfer.)
FUNDING: General Fund.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Since 2017, the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) program has led El Dorado County’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning process. During this planning process, EP&R staff identified that some departments have alert and notification systems that are used on a small scale. However, the County lacks a single, effective mass notification system to provide one-way, coordinated internal communication to all County employees. Often times, important and time-sensitive notifications are sent out via email, posted on EDCnet and/or available via the building closure line and don’t always reach the intended recipients in a timely manner.
Benefits of Mass Notification Systems
There are several benefits to using mass notification systems within an organization. Mass notification systems:
· Can improve the safety and security of an organization by providing alerts and real-time instructions during an incident.
· Have the ability to provide employees with vital information and early warnings to allow them to better prepare for impending events, such as snow days and Public Safety Power Shutoff events.
· Have the ability to notify a large number of people within minutes, without having to deal with individual emails, texts or phone trees.
· Reduce the spr...
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