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~;LYo, City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: May 12, 2009
Agenda Item: ~ "~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jory Wolf, Chief Information Officer
Subject: Purchase of Radio Infrastructure Equipment for Reactivation of the Fire
Department Communications 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 and installation of radio
infrastructure equipment for a total amount not to exceed $227,759, in conjunction with
reactivating the Fire Department's Communications Center.
Executive Summary
Upon termination of the agreement with the City of Los Angeles Fire Regional
Communications Center, the Santa Monica Fire Department will need to operate an
independent radio system for voice communications. The purchase of the radio
infrastructure equipment is necessary in order to support communications within the
Fire Department, and for interoperable communications with the Police Department as
well as other local public safety agencies. The cost of the new infrastructure equipment
including installation and one full year warranty is $227,759, and funds are available in
the current fiscal year budget.
Background
Upon transferring dispatching services to the City of Los Angeles Fire Regional
Communications Center in January 2007, the Santa Monica Fire Department
abandoned a nearly 25 year old radio communications infrastructure. The equipment,
manufactured by Motorola, had become increasingly difficult to support and maintain
due to lack of availability of replacement parts.
During the past year in which the City has contracted with the City of Los Angeles Fire
Regional Communications Center, the City of Los Angeles Fire Department's
communications system, also being used by the Santa Monica Fire Department, has
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experienced significant interagency communication limitations with the Santa Monica
Police Department
Due to its age and lack of available parts, the system previously used by the Santa
Monica Fire Department is not capable of being reutilized when dispatching services are
transitioned back to Santa Monica. There may be options for selling parts from that
system to other agencies.
Discussion
The communications system proposed to be purchased for the Fire Department's new
communications center is a basic analog voice communications system capable of
serving the Fire Department for a minimum of ten years. The system, which is only
available from Motorola, Inc., is designed to ensure direct communications between the
Police and Fire Departments, while still allowing the Fire Department to have fully
interoperable communications with other Fire Departments, including the Los Angeles
City Fire Department.
The City plans to implement a municipal radio network in the future that will significantly
expand radio frequency availability for all City departments. As part of a countywide
radio communications interoperability effort, the municipal radio network will eventually
bridge to existing regional networks as well as future regional networks that are in the
process of being designed. The proposed Fire Department system can easily be
upgraded to support the City's future municipal radio network and be compatible with
existing and future regional networks. On March 24, 2009, City Council authorized the
purchase of 122 radios for the Fire Department. Those radios, in conjunction with
existing radios already owned by the City, will be utilized to communicate on the
proposed new radio infrastructure.
In order to ensure that the Police and Fire Departments can communicate between their
respective radio systems, the system being purchased by the Fire Department must be
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compatible with the Police Department's radio system. The Police Department operates
a secure radio communications system on licensed radio frequencies utilizing
proprietary encryption technology that is developed by and 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 system is $227,759 with one full year warranty included. Funds
are available in the Fire Dispatch CIP account 0014020.589000. Future maintenance
costs are projected to be approximately $40,000 annually and the funds will be included
in the Proposed Budget of the respective year for Council's review and approval.
Prepared by: Eric Uller, Lead Public Safety Systems Analyst
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
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