Required Response Form Grand Jury Report Title: The Emergency Communications System in Mendocino County Report Dated:*

upgrade, and replacement of the system. This has allowed the ECS microwave equipment to continue at end of life with an increasing number of outages. The Board of Supervisors partially agrees with this finding, and is working to address this issue. Information Services, in collaboration with the Executive Office and the Board's Information Technology Ad Hoc Committee, has authored a Master Plan detailing necessary upgrades. Implementation depends on funding allocations in future budgets by the federal, State and local agencies that rely on the system. In addition to publishing a Master Plan, County leadership is in the process of publishing a budget showing the annualized cost (currently borne entirely by County government) of maintaining a communication system that is relied upon, to one degree or another, by every public safety agency that operates anywhere in Mendocino County. With an increasing ECS failure rate, as shown in the graph on , every

emergency the County faces puts first responders at even greater risk. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.

There is substantial building degradation at the remote sites (vaults), and deferring the needed site upgrades puts any new ECS equipment in jeopardy. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.

The lives of Mendocino County residents depend on the integrity of the remote microwave-radio buildings. By de-prioritizing these buildings, the County is not well positioned to protect the Life, Health, Safety, and Welfare of its residents through ECS. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.

The current BOS faces a planning scenario similar to the 2007 and 2009 BOS, including impending risks to funding due to the current economic situation. Tabling funding for the new microwave system and infrastructure upgrades a second time will impact Mendocino County residents' safety. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding. By not actively pursuing chargebacks for co-location from participating entities at

remote microwave sites, the County is losing a potential revenue stream to augment funding for the new system. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding. As indicated in response to

By not using the work order system consistently to track maintenance and repairs, there is no supporting documentation for accurate forecasting and budgeting. The Board of Supervisors partially agrees with this finding. Consistent use of the work order system would have provided more reliable data for forecasting current maintenance costs, but future costs will likely not follow the historic trend due to age of equipment and lack of vendor repair/parts support. The accurate forecast will result from replacement scheduled outlined by the IT Master Plan and supporting documentation from County IS.

The separate tracking and reporting systems used by Facilities and IS do not interface. This inhibits communication between the two departments and severely limits a coordinated effort to maintain remote sites and associated ECS microwave equipment. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.

The lack of cross training within IS and little formal documentation of maintenance procedures put the ECS at risk by leaving the department without a sufficient number of qualified technicians to manage the County's investment. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding. The concern is understated.

While the GJ found budgeted line items for Phase 2, Phase 3, and the sheriff's console relocation and replacement, in the IT Master Plan it found no evidence of committed funding by the BOS. This leaves all residents and first responders vulnerable. The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding. Response to Recommendations: The BOS commit funding for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Public Safety