Commissioners Approve Jail Security Upgrades

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners heard from legal counsel Brian Gardner and Lieutenant Josh McDowell, with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office on a long-planned modernization of the Lincoln County Jail’s integrated security controls.

Gardner told commissioners the current setup is a patchwork of different technologies from different years, requiring specialized coding to keep systems talking to each other.

An RFP, (request for proposals) went out May 17 and went through the standard process, including site visits and a protest window.

An evaluation team reviewed three proposals: Justice Systems by Long, Brightside Security and Fire, and Accurate Electronic Unlimited. The team recommended Accurate Electronic Unlimited for a notice of intent to award.

Gardner explained that sending the notice would start a seven-day protest period, during which any bidder could challenge the intended award. Meanwhile, he would work with McDowell to draft a contract based on the proposal.

He stressed that a notice of intent does not obligate the county; a final contract would return to the board for review and approval at a later date. Given the jail’s needs, he said there is “a sense of urgency” to move the project forward.

Lieutenant McDowell described the current system as a fragile, aging mix of components that have had to be forced to work together over the past two decades. Video services from a vendor called Vicon are tied into door controls that convert electronic signals into pneumatic actions to open doors, while emergency call buttons and call boxes also have to integrate into the controls.

“The heart of this system is over 20 years old,” McDowell said, adding that as pieces have been replaced over time, they no longer communicate reliably. A recent elevator modernization at the jail, he said, highlighted this incompatibility: new elevators did not easily integrate with the old control infrastructure, leaving ongoing issues.

Compliance with criminal justice information system (CJIS) security rules is also forcing a move to newer versions of Windows. McDowell said the current door-control software cannot run on the required operating system, and simply rebuilding that program alone was quoted in the range of $50,000–$60,000. When the system fails, which he said happens “far more frequently” now, only one specialist based in Spokane is able to work on it, causing further delays.

By contrast, the proposed new system would include all-new integrated computers designed to work together, remote diagnostic and service capabilities, and a guaranteed response time of less than 24 hours if on-site work is needed. The operating platform, IP Fusion, would be more robust and scalable, allowing the jail to later add new controls such as lighting and other building systems.

McDowell said he has “pretty high confidence” in the solution and believes it is “what you want because it’s so critical.” He noted the ongoing failures are stressful for staff and that the upgrade would both improve reliability and expand capabilities.

Responding to questions from Commissioners, McDowell said Accurate would serve as a specialized integrator but that the modern equipment and software would allow the county’s own IT department to handle most day-to-day service. IP Fusion allows higher-level administrative permissions to be delegated and trained to county IT, creating multiple layers of support before the integrator has to be called in.

On life expectancy, McDowell said he had confirmed with IT that the core servers controlling doors and cameras are considered to have about a five-year life cycle and are already beyond end-of-life.

Cameras often last around 10 years, but the servers are “the heart of this program” and will need regular replacement. He recommended the county establish a maintenance and replacement schedule to avoid large, sporadic bills in the future.

Commissioners agreed the proposal appeared to be “the proper way to go” to keep the jail functioning well and staff safe. With apparent consensus, Gardner asked for clear authorization.

Commissioner Miller moved “that we authorize a notice of intent award contract to Accurate Electrical Unlimited.” The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.