City seeking money through ACOG, DHS
Newcastle is looking for funds to pay for some of its projects. At their March meeting, the Newcastle City Council approved City Manager Kevin Self to apply for a grant and for congressional funding. The City is planning to build a new Emergency Communications facility and they would like a CAD system.
Self said, “We would like to apply for a grant through the Department of Homeland Services for this facility. The old facility was not built to accommodate the amount of people that are needed there.”
Self said the City would like to build a 5,000 square-foot facility on a half-acre lot directly behind the Newcastle Police Department.
He said, “It would fit there perfectly and would provide for the City’s needs for a long time.”
Newcastle is also applying for a grant through the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) to purchase a CAD system (computer aided design) which Self said would result in quicker police and emergency responses, while also providing other benefits to the City.
“About 10-12 years ago we were looking at CAD systems, but they weren’t internetbased. Now, they are cloud based,” Self said.
He told the Council the City could purchase a system for an initial fee of about $108,000. He said after the initial purchase, there is an additional annual fee of about $48,000 for the software and updates.
“Most cities use CAD systems if they have any call volume at all,” Self said. “This allows for tracking of calls, and shows where officers are on the streets at that time.”
