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error City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: March 24, 2009
Agenda Item: 1 "-~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jory Wolf, Chief Information Officer
Subject: Purchase of Radio Equipment for Reactivation of Fire Department
Dispatch Center
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to approve a sole
source purchase order with Motorola, Inc. for the purchase of radio equipment for a total
amount not to exceed $472,287 in conjunction with. reactivating the Fire Dispatch
Center.
Executive Summary
The City plans to reactivate the Fire Department's Dispatch Center in the Public Safety
Facility and terminate the existing fire dispatch agreement with the City of Los Angeles.
Upon reactivation of the new center, the Fire Department plans to purchase 122 new
radios compatible with the City of Santa Monica's current radio system. The cost of the
new radios including the first year of maintenance is $472,287.
Background
On January 23, 2007, the City entered into an agreement with the Los Angeles City Fire
Department for emergency dispatch services. The City purchased radio equipment
compatible with the Los Angeles City radio communications system.
On January 13, 2009, City Council approved the reactivation of the City's Fire Dispatch
Center and the termination of the dispatch agreement with the City of Los Angeles. To
reactivate the center, the Fire Department needs to purchase. new radio equipment that
is compatible with the City's radio communications system.
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Discussion
Many of the radios purchased by the Fire Department at the time it transitioned to the
City of Los Angeles are not compatible with the Fire Department's licensed frequencies
and radio system. The 147 radios that are compatible will be retained by the Fire
Department for use. The 124 radios that are not compatible with the system will be
returned to the City of Los Angeles and a credit for the. fair market value will be
negotiated with the City of Los Angeles.
In order to ensure that the Police and Fire Departments can communicate between their
respective radio systems, the radios purchased by the Fire Department must be
compatible with the Police Department's radio system. The Police Department operates
a secure radio communications system on licensed radio frequencies. The existing
system utilizes proprietary encryption .technology that is developed by and only
available from Motorola, Inc. Radios purchased for use with this system must be
compatible with the system and are only available from Motorola, Inc:
Section 2.24.080 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code allows exceptions to competitive
bidding when proprietary items are purchased from a manufacturer.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The cost for the radio equipment and first year of maintenance will not exceed
$472,287. Funds are available in the Fire Dispatch CIP, account 0014020.589000.
Future maintenance costs will be paid by the amounts appropriated by Council in fiscal
years. Annual funding requirements will be requested in each fiscal year's proposed
budget and will be subject to Council review and approval.
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Prepared by:
Megan Tabibian, Systems Analyst
Approved: Forwarded to Council:
Officer
Ewell
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