The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) has reportedly made a deal with Freddie Figgers for a new system to improve 911 calls and response times.
“The district is investing a million dollars for a new communication network and completely separating from the Walt Disney World system,” District Administrator Glen Gilzean said.
According to WFTV 9, the District reached out to Figgers, CEO of Figgers Communication consulting firm, in early August. Less than a week later, they sent over a contract for approval. A deal was made without open bids from other companies because Figgers was able to commit within a compressed timeframe for the migration of 911 wireless calls.
Who is Freddie Figgers?
Figgers is a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics, appointed in July by Governor Ron DeSantis. At the time, Gilzean was chairperson of the commission, but he resigned in late August after it was discovered had violated a rule of the Commission by taking his job with the District.
Channel 9 asked a spokesperson for the District if the price was fair, and was told that when it comes to public safety, the District looks at qualifications and experience to pick a firm.
The media team for Figgers provided this statement: “This new architecture will enable all wireless emergency calls to be directly routed to the district’s 911 system, significantly reducing response times and potentially saving lives.” They also said the contract will be less than a million dollars but didn’t give Channel 9 a figure.
Amidst this news, Wednesday’s meeting of the CFTOD Board of Supervisors has been canceled. All public hearings and agenda items scheduled for the October 25 meeting will be moved to the November 15 meeting.
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