County commissioners approved today an upgrade to a new computer-aided dispatch system that will better coordinate emergency services.
“We have disparate systems that don’t talk to each other, and that causes problems for those who call into the dispatch center, calls having to be transferred and information repeated,” Washoe County Manager Eric Brown said.
Problems include callers having to repeat answers to multiple people when calling 911.
The 911 surcharge placed on all landline phone accounts pays for the new system. Washoe County, Reno, Sparks and REMSA will also share the costs of the RMS, charged proportionately according to their use.
The Board approved the new system with the responding organizations and a five-year contract with the company Hexagon for software and implementation services.
The next step, officials said, will be to award a contract for project management in October and begin the dispatch regionalization this fall. It is expected to be completed in 2026.
Source: Washoe County
