Michael Rigert - NORTH COUNTY STAFF | Posted: Wednesday, January 2, 2008 11:00 pm
Orem rang in the New Year with the news it's nearly a half million dollars richer after receiving federal funds from a recently passed omnibus bill.
The windfall includes $247,000 in grant money for the Orem Public Library and $164,500 for the Orem Department of Public Safety. The bill included more than $290 million for Utah projects.
The Orem Department of Public Safety will use its haul to purchase a broadband network of real-time video cameras to be installed in all city police vehicles.
Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn said the department will contribute $30,000 in matching funds to the city project, which is being jointly developed by the Orem and Provo police departments. The video system will provide an instantaneous video camera link between patrol officers and their supervisors who will be able to observe situations in real-time during training, a service call or during a chase, Washburn said.
"It provides greater security and quicker backup for officers and networks then so all vehicles and the main base can be connected instantly," he said.
The broadband video camera network was pioneered in Israel, and will enhance Orem police officers' safety and efficiency, Washburn said.
The Orem Public Library's portion will be used to purchase radio frequency technology that will replace the current barcode checkout system and allow much faster check-outs, check-ins and general patron transactions, said Louise Wallace, the library's director.
The Provo and Salt Lake City libraries already use the technology.
The radio frequency technology comes in various components, including new collection tags, readers to sensor entrance/exit gates, a Smart Card self-check system and training for employees. There's even a component with an automated arm that takes returned materials from the chute and places them on the appropriate cart for staff to put back in circulation.
"With radio frequency technology, when someone returns a book down the chute, it senses the tags on the items as they go through the sensors," Wallace said. "So essentially you're checking in items as you return them [down the chute]. It saves staff time ... [and] it's a great technology."
The library has $80,000 in matching funds that it will contribute toward the project.
Patrons will even be able to pay late fees and check out fee-based material such as DVDs and videocassettes with the swipe of a card.
"Radio frequency technology allows you to check out a whole stack of books at once," Wallace said. "It's very fast."
Both the grants for the library and Orem police represent great cost savings to Orem residents, which will save the city money in the long run while providing new conveniences and services to library patrons and residents, Washburn said. He anticipated the city will receive the funds sometime this spring so the departments can began implementing the new systems this year.