Orange County Commissioners will consider spending $1.5 million dollars to upgrade the 911 emergency response system when the board meets Tuesday.

County officials say its time to update the 911 phone system to accept texts, pictures and videos from callers and emergency responders.

The Next Generation 911 Solution, as it’s being called, will cost the county $22,000 to install and nearly $26,000 in recurring expenses, for a total of $1.5 million over the next five years.

While the monthly rate is significantly more than the county has been paying with its current provider, county staffers say the current provider is not able to offer the new services. Some of the money for the new system will come from the state’s 911 Board Emergency Telephone Fund.

The board will also consider moving forward with plans to expand the Southern Human Services Center on Homestead Road, now that the Chapel Hill Town Council has approved a Special Use Permit for the site.

The Board of County Commissioners meets at 7 o’clock in the Whitted Meeting Room at 300 West Tryon Street in Hillsborough.

The full agenda is available here: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/occlerks/141007.pdf

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