DEPARTMENT: Information Technology Services; San Antonio Police Department; San Antonio Fire Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Hugh Miller, Chief Technology Officer; Chief William McManus, San Antonio Police Department; Chief Charles N. Hood, San Antonio Fire Department
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT: Public Safety Radio System and Equipment
SUMMARY: This item is a briefing on the Public Safety Regional Radio System.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio currently uses a Harris Corporation Enhanced Digital Access Communication System (EDACS) proprietary radio system, which was installed in 2004. The System provides public safety grade, two-way radio communications for the City of San Antonio and surrounding Bexar County. The System currently manages an average of over 300,000 individual radio calls a day from approximately 11,000 public safety and governmental agency users, which includes fifty-six (56) external, multijurisdictional agencies. The City of San Antonio represents approximately 82% of the usage on the System and it is a critical source of communications to the San Antonio Police and Fire Departments.
City Council was briefed at the High Profile Contract Council Committee on June 23, 2015 and the Public Safety Committee on June 3, 2015 and subsequently on August 12, 2015. At the August 12 meeting of the Public Safety Committee, staff provided an alternative recommendation to move forward with the release of a solicitation for a full radio system replacement with an alternative to extend the life of the existing radio system and replace aging subscriber radios. The project team, comprised of members from the City Manager's Office, Information Technology Services Department, Police Department (SAPD), and Fire Department (SAFD) along with the advisory assistance of the outside consultant Televate, LLC, has performed a comprehensive assessment of the radio system and developed the solicitation.
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