(A) The purpose of the Emergency Communications Commission is to own, administer, staff, operate and fund an Emergency Communication Center and Public Response System (E-911) for the citizens of the county. This shall include the telephones, radios and other communication systems used by the fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, rescue squads, disaster emergency services and other emergency agencies within the county. The Commission shall adhere to all federal, state, local and Association of Public Communications Officers, Inc., (APCO) rules, regulations and standards governing the administration and operation of communication systems, such as described in this section.
(B) (1) The Commission shall consist of three members, each having three-year terms. Any member shall only serve two consecutive terms or a total of not more than six years consecutively. No member of this Commission shall hold an elected office in any city of the county or of the county itself.
(2) The membership of the new Emergency Communications Commission shall be comprised by three members, who shall be the County Sheriff, the County Attorney and the Director of the County 911/Chief Dispatcher. These Commissioners shall receive no financial remuneration for their services on said Commission.
(3) Any member of this Commission that fails to attend two or more of the Commission’s monthly meetings, without just cause, may be replaced by the entity that selected that member.
(C) The funding of this Commission and its purpose shall be provided for as outlined in the Commission’s annual budget as submitted to the County Fiscal Court for approval. This annual budget shall be submitted to the County Fiscal Court and the County Treasurer no later than March 1 prior to the upcoming fiscal year. A copy of this proposed budget shall also be submitted to the County Fire Board, the County Rescue Board, the County Sheriff, the Mayor of the City of Stanford, the Mayor of the City of Hustonville and the Mayor of the City of Crab Orchard. These copies are for information only and do not require any action by these parties.
(D) Any funds that are spent by, received by, transferred into or out of the control of this Commission shall require a complete annual accounting performed by a certified public accountant that has prior approval of the County Fiscal Court. The payment of this annual accounting report shall be from the Commission’s current funds. A copy of this annual accounting report shall be attached to the Commission’s annual proposed budget as indicated in division (C).
(E) The Commission shall own, hold title to, obtain and hold license for and maintain an inventory of all emergency communications equipment of and for the county. The titles, licenses and inventories of this equipment shall be subject to review, at any time, by proper federal, state and local agencies, thus the Commission shall maintain these in proper order at all times. The equipment included in these properties are those of the County Fire Department, the County Rescue Squad, the County Sheriff’s Department and the Emergency Communications Center. The equipment of the three municipalities shall remain with those municipalities.
(F) The Commission members shall prepare the procedures for the administration of the purposes of this Commission. These administrative procedures shall be prepared prior to the Commission receiving and/or spending any funds. These procedures shall be maintained in a timely order and shall be available for public review at any time with a prior written request.
(G) The Commission, as directed in the Commission’s administrative procedures, shall secure a Chief Dispatcher for the daily operation of the Commission’s business and purpose. The requirements for the position of Chief Dispatcher shall be set forth in the Commission’s administrative procedures and shall meet the standards of the Association of Public Communication Officers, Inc. (APCO). The compensation of this Chief Dispatcher shall be set by the Commission at the time of hiring this position. The Chief Dispatcher shall then have the responsibility of staffing, with the approval of the Commission, and operating the Emergency Communication Center. He or she shall also have the responsibility of adhering to the procedures of the Commission, and maintaining all the records and reports of the Commission. This position shall be responsible to the Commission procedures, all federal, state and local laws governing the operation of a center and equipment therein.
(Prior Code, § 36.01)