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Item No. 15 TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro -Tem & City Council Rob Vine, Interim City Manager FROM: Richard Salter, Chief of Police SUBJECT: Designation of Lamar County Sheriff s Office as a Secondary 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Lamar County. DATE: October 14, 2024 BACKGROUND: The Ark -Tex Council of Governments (ATCOG) is a voluntary association of local governments established under state law for the purpose of promoting intergovernmental cooperation and strengthening units of local government. The ATCOG administers the 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System Program for a 9 -County Region including Lamar County. The ATCOG provides planning and technical assistance to ensure delivery of 9-1-1 calls to the proper Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) which are 24/7 call centers responsible for answering 9-1-1 emergency calls, dispatching the appropriate emergency services, and transferring calls to other specialized agencies. In a cooperative effort, ATCOG 9-1-1 works with local Telephone Companies, Wireless Telephone companies, Voice over Internet Providers (VoIP), and others in the region to ensure that each 9-1-1 call reaches the correct PSAP with the right location and telephone information. The Paris Police Department was designated as the Primary PSAP for Lamar County in February 1990, under the authority of the Ark -Tex Council of Governments following the approval of a Cooperative Working Agreement with the Lamar County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) under City Council Resolution No. 90-008. Currently, the Paris Police Department receives all 9-1-1 calls initiated within Lamar County and then transfers calls from outside city limits to the Lamar County Sheriffs office, which is the official 9-1-1 contingency agency for the Paris Police Department. STATUS OF ISSUE: The Lamar County Sheriffs Office seeks ATCOG designation as a "SECONDARY Public Safety Answering Point" for 9-1-1 calls. By joining the Ark -Tex Council of Governments Emergency Services Internet (ESInet), the Lamar County Sheriff s Office would be eligible to receive state and federal funding to cover the procurement of 9-1-1 call taking