County exploring increased emergency communications coverage for buildings

The county is exploring options to update the emergency communications system between the various buildings housing county government offices.

The communications system would provide better emergency communications between the 9-1-1 center and all of the county facilities through the use of an emergency button that would text and call the center. Astro Security is providing quotes for the new system that, according to Doug Fisher of Astro, would include a system that uses cell phone and texting to alert to the possibility of problems in any of the buildings.

Dubois County Sheriff Donny Lampert and Emergency Management Director Tammy Humbert requested permission to move ahead with funding for a new emergency communications system for the annex and courthouse buildings for an estimated cost of $50,000. However, the commissioners requested the addition of the county health department and highway garage to the new system.

Humbert and Lampert will bring the new quotes with the additional buildings to the next commissioner meeting on January 19. If approved by the commissioners, the request will be forwarded to the county council.

Sheriff Lampert said the additional security communications was necessary as government facilities are targets for violent acts such as domestic terrorism or even disgruntled citizens.

“When you start looking at the safety of the people coming here, working here, not only that, you start thinking about the documents that are held in these facilities, you have to get up to standards,” Lampert said.