DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Public Safety Radio Purchase
SUMMARY:
This action authorizes a contract in the amount of $2,221,901.90 with Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., through the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) cooperative contract RA05-15, to provide the San Antonio Police, Fire and Animal Care Services Departments with portable radios and command base stations through the Information Technology Services Department - Radio Services Division.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On August 12th, the Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Services Council Committee was briefed on a plan to purchase P25 compliant radios to replace existing equipment as well as issuance of a solicitation for the replacement of the current radio system in the October / November 2015 timeframe. In the interim, authorization was granted to purchase 450 units of cache radios for Fire and Police Officers and 22 command base stations for the San Antonio Police, Fire and Animal Care Services Departments prior to the issuance of a solicitation for the complete radio system replacement. Future purchases of portable radios may be necessary should there be any delays in the replacement of the current radio system.
Submitted for City Council consideration and action is the offer submitted by Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., for the purchase of 450 portable radios and 22 command base stations through the HGAC cooperative contract RA05-15 for a total cost of $2,221,901.90. This cost reflects a 26% discount from the list price for portable radios and command base stations per the terms of the HGAC contract.
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 thirty-five (35) 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.
It has become necessary to purchase these units to replace devices that have been designated as end-of-life. This contract will allow the City to procure required equipment to continue critical radio communications and provide public safety services to the community.
ISSUE:
This action will provide the Information Technology Services Department with authorization to purchase portable radios and command base stations 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 a future state 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 not be able to outfit public safety personnel with critical radio communication equipment which could have a negative impact on their 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 $2,199,518.79 to Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. Funds are available from the FY2015 - FY 2019 Capital Budget for the Radio and System Replacement project.
This is a one-time capital expenditure for the Animal Care Services Department in the amount of $22,383.11 to Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. Funds are available from the Animal Care Services FY2015 Operating Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of the contract with Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., through the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments cooperative contract RA05-15, to provide the San Antonio Police, Fire and Animal Care Services Departments with portable radios and command base stations 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.