SR 09-27-2011 3BCity Council Meeting: September 27, 2011
Agenda Item: `—
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Timothy J Jackman, Chief of Police
Subject: Sole Source Purchase of Los Angeles Regional Common Operational
Picture Platform ( LARCOPP)
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to award a sole source
purchase order to Future Concepts Inc., a. California -based company, in an amount not
to exceed $250,000 for the purchase of hardware and the Antares system associated
with the LARCOPP project.
Executive Summary
The purchase of hardware and the Antares system associated with the LARCOPP
project would provide the Police Department with regional command and control
capabilities that could be used during times of disaster and emergency. The equipment
would strengthen regional communication and interoperability in order to protect,
respond to, and mitigate terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other all- hazard
emergencies. The purchase of this equipment and system, with US Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funds, at a cost of
$250,000 would further the City's goals to improve public safety. A sole source is
required for this purchase because Future Concepts Inc. is the only commercial source
providing the LARCOPP and Antares system. All of the physical hardware associated
with this product is specifically designed to work with the proprietary Antares system
and is available through Future Concepts Inc.
Background
The primary national priorities for the Urban Area Security Initiative for FY2009 are to
strengthen interoperable communications, enhance resource management and
increase responder capabilities, health and safety. The Los Angeles County operational
area is in critical need of command, control, and communications equipment to protect,
respond to, and mitigate terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other all- hazard
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emergencies. To make the needed enhancements four cities and Los Angeles County
have purchased LARCOPP with homeland security grant funds.
Discussion
The LARCOPP system would provide coordinated, regional command and control
during emergencies. The LARCOPP system with Antares system would equip the City
of Santa Monica, mutual aid Area A (the City of Beverly Hills, Culver City and the City of
Los Angeles) agencies and Los Angeles County with the ability to communicate with
other agencies' already equipped with LARCOPP in addition to Federal and State
jurisdictions. The upgrades would satisfy the need for quick dissemination of data and
sharing of critical information on minor and major incidents in order to control and
mitigate large scale, regional emergencies.
Vendor Selection
The recommended vendor, Future Concepts Inc. is the only commercial source
providing the Antares system. All of the physical hardware associated with this product
is specifically designed to work with the Antares system and is proprietary and only
available through Future Concepts Inc.
Future Concepts Inc. would provide these hardware and the Antares systems to a City
of Santa Monica Police Department Suburban platform. The hardware and software
systems would add one additional operational unit to the LARCOPP program, thus
enhancing the gathering and sharing of data intelligence and information. Currently, the
LARCOPP program includes the Los Angeles County Sheriff's and Fire Departments,
the City of Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments, the City of Long Beach Police and
Fire Departments, the City of Glendale Police and Fire Departments and the City of
Pomona Police and Fire Departments.
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The command and control aspects of the LARCOPP and Antares system were built
upon a close network of emergency first responders, software engineers, technicians,
field operators and systems analysts. Over $5 million and five years of cooperation, field
testing, exercising, demonstrating, testing, training coupled with lessons learned and
best practices have been invested in the program. Due to the high cost and time
intensive nature of what is described above no other company has sufficiently produced
a competitive product to LARCOPP and the Antares system.
In order to use of Department of Homeland Security funding through UASI for this
purchase, the City of Santa Monica obtained sole source authorization from the City of
Los Angeles and California Emergency Management Agency (CaIEMA) in August 2011,
fulfilling the UASI grant guideline requirements.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The total contract amount to be awarded to Future Concepts Inc. is $250,000. Funds
are available in the FY 2011 -2012 budget in expenditure account: 20304.555395.
Prepared by: Kevin McGowan, Assistant to the Chief of Police
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager