Gary Vargo, an emergency dispatcher at the Negaunee Regional Communications Center, is shown in April 2019 as he views multiple monitors that allow him to keep track of radio communications, locations of police vehicles, as well as other information that helps dispatchers respond to emergencies. Marquette County will provide matching grant funds to the Upper Peninsula 911 Authority for a project to upgrade the Marquette County Central Dispatch center’s call processing equipment. Marquette County Central Dispatch, like the Negaunee Regional Communications Center, is housed in the Michigan State Police post in Negaunee Township. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — Marquette County will assist the Upper Peninsula 911 Authority with a project to upgrade Marquette County Central Dispatch’s call processing equipment.

The Marquette County Board unanimously approved a motion to use county funds to cover a match of just over $33,000 for a Next Generation Advancement grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that was awarded to the Upper Peninsula 911 Authority.

Including the match, the total amount of the grant is around $678,000.

The matching funds from the county were needed because the Upper Peninsula 911 Authority does not have enough funds in reserve to cover the match and the costs of the project beyond the grant amount, according to a memo from Marquette County Central Dispatch manager Gary Johnson to Marquette County staff.

In addition, Johnson’s memo states all federal grants require the grantee expend the funds for the project before being reimbursed by grant dollars, meaning the county will initially expend around $678,000, but be reimbursed for all except its roughly $33,000 match.

“Central dispatch is requesting that the county board allow us to cover the upfront cost for the grant portion of this project,” Johnson’s memo states.

Prior to the vote, Marquette County Commissioner John DePetro and Marquette County Board Chairman Gerald Corkin praised Johnson and the department for a “top-notch” operation.

DePetro thanked Johnson and noted that upgrades to the call processing center are necessary.

“(He) tries to keep the U.P. 911 dispatch in the 21st century, because it’s changing so fast,” DePetro said of Johnson.

Corkin noted that he has seen the county’s 911 services evolve over the last decade.

“It’s top-notch in the U.P.,” Corkin said. “There are some (other) good ones, but this is as good as any in the state. There is exceptional talent out there.”

The state received over $3.9 million in grant funding to power basic improvements such as providing digital and IP network capabilities to 911 emergency call centers and will assist with implementation of advanced mapping systems that will make it easier to identify a 911 caller’s location, an Aug. 9, 2019, NHTSA release states.

The funding is administrated by the State 911 Committee.

County commissioners also approved a $48,528 bid from 906 Technologies for the development of a phone application for veterans.

The app will provide veterans with access to local, state and nationwide services and events on devices with Apple or Android operating systems.

Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch told the board that veterans see Veterans Administration news and events and even open a line of communication through the app.

“Veterans that sign up for it (the app) can communicate back to the department,” he said.

Erbisch noted that the vendor would be paid up front for the development, as opposed to after the app has been delivered.

“If you approve it, you are going to pay before you get the product done,” Erbisch said. “… The good thing here is that they will be local.”

Of the two vendors that bid on the project, the Marquette-based 906 Technologies was the low bidder, Erbisch said.

The cost of the project has been fully funded by a grant from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.