Waterloo, Iowa Development News

Waterloo City Council Reviews Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Axon Contract, and Fire Department Software Modernization

The Waterloo City Council discussed an update to the multi-jurisdictional Black Hawk County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan is a federal requirement for grant applications and outlines how the city and county will respond to disasters such as floods and fires. The update involves reviewing previous action strategies, updating census data and critical infrastructure information, assessing capabilities, and developing new strategies. The plan will be presented to the state for review and then FEMA for approval. The council also reviewed the Axon software contract for the police department, which includes body cameras, tasers, in-car videos, and drones. The discussion focused on the costs associated with renewing the contract versus waiting, potential price increases, and the benefits of the technology for officer and citizen safety, transparency, and liability reduction. The fire department presented a proposal to modernize its technology infrastructure by moving to a single integrated software system called First Due, replacing multiple existing platforms. This transition aims to improve efficiency and reduce duplicate data entry. The proposal includes a plan to offset costs through increased revenue sharing from inspection fees for fire protection systems, fire extinguishers, and exit egress lights.