News release from the Allen County Commissioners:
Software to Create Virtual Emergency Ops Center for County
Commissioners approve contract with Grey Wall Software(August 9, 2019) — Allen County is taking steps to bolster its crisis management coordination strategies with plans to implement a virtual emergency operation center.
The Allen County Board of Commissioners today approved a contract between the county’s Office of Homeland Security and Grey Wall Software of New Haven, Connecticut, to use the company’s Veoci software system to manage emergencies and run drills in preparation for emergencies.
Bernie Beier, Homeland Security director, told the commissioners that the Veoci system will give his office a platform to provide near real-time information and collaboration between local government departments and jurisdictions during emergency events. Veoci will also provide the county “cloud space” to store plans, protocols and statistical information for emergencies.
“A leader’s job in emergencies is to make decisions and we need good information quicker than ever before,” Beier said. “The more we think about how these events impact quickly, the greater the need is to share information to make correct decisions. That’s what makes us more efficient, better prepared, more resilient as a community.”
The first year of the contract will cost the county $25,000 for the software, its implementation, and training on how to use the system. Afterward, the county would pay an annual software subscription fee of $15,000.