DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: CityWide
SUBJECT:
Public Safety Radio Purchase
SUMMARY:
This action authorizes a contract in the amount of $6,741,266.35 with Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., through the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) cooperative contract RA05-15, to provide the San Antonio Police (SAPD) and Fire (SAFD) Departments with portable radios through the Information Technology Services Department - Radio Services Division.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On December 2, 2015, City Council was briefed on a two-step solicitation process for the planned replacement or continued use of the current radio system. A Request for Qualifications was released on December 7 with responses due on December 18. Firms deemed to be qualified will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and will receive the subsequent Request for Proposals on January 7. In the interim, City staff recommended the purchase of 1,547 P25 compliant radios for front line Fire and Police Officers in conjunction with the issuance of the competitive solicitation for the radio system. This procurement is necessary to replace radios that are over 12 years in age which are designated as mission critical and are at end-of-life.
A briefing will be prepared for an upcoming B-Session in May 2016 to provide a recommendation on whether to replace or extend the use of the current public safety radio system. In the event a decision is made to replace the current radio system, these radios will continue to be functional on the new radio system and would be reassigned to staff performing administrative duties. In this scenario, public safety personnel would receive new radios.
On September 17, 2015, City Council approved the procurement of communication equipment for SAPD, SAFD and Animal Care Services. This action included the purchase of 300 P25 compliant portable radio units for SAPD and 150 P25 compliant radio units for SAFD which will be deployed in January 2016.
Submitted for City Council consideration and action is the offer submitted by Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., for the purchase of 1547 portable radios through the HGAC cooperative contract RA05-15 for a total cost of $6,741,266.35. This cost reflects a 26% discount from the list price for portable radios and command base stations per the terms of the HGAC contract. However, Dailey & Wells Communications is waiving the cooperative fee and offering to extend the standard radio warranty of three years to a total of five years due to the large number of radios being purchased. Radio accessories and rechargeable batteries will be subject to the standard one year manufacturer’s warranty. These radios are scheduled to be deployed by April 2016.
The City’s current radio environment is supported by Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. The current 700/800MHz public safety radio communications system provides public safety grade two-way radio communications for the City of San Antonio and surrounding Bexar County participating agencies. The system currently manages an average of 400,000 radio calls per day from approximately 7,100 radios, which includes fifty-six (56) external multijurisdictional agencies. The radio system is available in over 1,200 square miles of Bexar County and provides the single source of communications to dispatch all Police and Fire/EMS in the City and County in response to any emergency.
ISSUE:
This action will provide the Information Technology Services Department with authorization to purchase portable radios for use with the current 700/800 MHZ public safety radio system. All radios purchased will be classified as P25 compliant which will conform to the standards of the current or a future P25 radio system.
This communication equipment will be purchased from Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., utilizing the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments cooperative contract RA05-15. This purchase will be made in accordance with the Houston-Galveston Cooperative Program passed on resolution 96-41-48 dated 10/10/1996.
Due to the type of commodities needed and the lack of subcontracting opportunities, no SBEDA tool was applied to this contract. However, Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. is a small, minority-owned business.
This contract is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program Ordinance does not apply to goods/supplies contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this action not be approved, the City would continue to outfit front line public safety personnel with existing radio communication equipment which has reached 12 or more years in age and could have a negative impact on communication ability and possibly result in loss of public safety services to the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This is a one-time capital expenditure for the San Antonio Fire and Police Departments in the amount of $6,741,266.35 to Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. Funds are available from the FY2015 - FY 2019 Capital Budget for the Radio and System Replacement project.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of the contract with Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., to provide SAPD and SAFD with portable radios through the Information Technology Services Department - Radio Services Division.
This contract is procured by means of cooperative purchasing and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.