DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Ratification of a Contract for the Replacement of Power Generation Equipment at the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Building
SUMMARY:
An ordinance ratifying a contract with Waukesha-Pearce Industries, LLC in the amount of $170,698.00 to replace power generation equipment for the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) building. Funding is available from the FY 2019 Deferred Maintenance Program as part of the FY 2019 - FY 2024 Capital Improvement Program. This contract was procured citing a Public Health and Safety exemption according to the provisions of Texas Statutes Local Government Code 252.022.02.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Call Center is located on Brooks City Base on the South East side of San Antonio. This building houses the 911 call response and support personnel along with the associated systems utilized to sustain the public safety Emergency 911 support operations. PSAP supports the emergency dispatch services for SAPD and SAFD. The center receives and dispatches information for assistance via radio operations and through the City’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system; to SAPD’s and SAFD’s first responders based on the 911 call’s routing requirements. Additionally, PSAP houses the 911 phone network core and dispatches calls to the surrounding Comal, Guadalupe, and Medina counties.
PSAP relies on four emergency backup generators, two of which are designed to provide emergency power redundancy to the facility. On July 1, 2019, during routine annual preventive maintenance testing and inspection of these generators; one of the four generators experienced a catastrophic engine failure. Initially, the BESD attempted to replace the engine core in the existing generator cage; however the required engine configuration is no longer manufactured. Therefore, it was determined that a completely new replacement generator system was required in order to maintain the redundancy capabilities of the emergency power system(s) that support PSAP’s building and the equipment contained within. This emergency purchase was made due to the lead time of up to thirteen weeks required for manufacturing, delivery, and installation of the replacement generator system. For compatibility reasons, it is critical that the replacement generator system be equivalent in configuration and capacity (600 KW) to that of the original equipment currently on site at PSAP.
Submitted for Council consideration and action is the ratification of a contract with Waukesha-Pearce Industries, LLC in the amount of $170,698.00 to replace power generation equipment for the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) building. These services were procured citing a Public Health and Safety exemption according to the provisions of Texas Statutes Local Government Code 252.022.02.
ISSUE:
This action will ratify a contract with Waukesha-Pearce Industries, LLC in the amount of $170,698.00 to replace power generation equipment for the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) building. Because this building serves as the answering point for emergency dispatch services and the required replacement equipment had a long lead time, it was imperative to begin the ordering process for this critical piece of equipment in advance of City Council action.
This contract is an exception to the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) and Local Preference Programs.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to goods/supplies contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
As an alternative, the Building Equipment Services Department could have delayed the necessary work and processed a competitive solicitation; however, without the replacement of the power generation equipment, the building would lack the required redundancy to continue safe operation, should there be a commercial outage. This lack of redundancy could cause further damage to the building’s power regulating system(s) or PSAP’s 911 specific equipment. Furthermore, the lack of redundancy creates the potential to place the public’s health and safety at risk.
FISCAL IMPACT:
An ordinance ratifying a contract with Waukesha-Pearce Industries, LLC in the amount of $170,698.00 to replace power generation equipment for the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) building. Funding is available from the FY 2019 Deferred Maintenance Program as part of the FY 2019 - FY 2024 Capital Improvement Program. This contract was procured citing a Public Health and Safety exemption according to the provisions of Texas Statutes Local Government Code 252.022.02.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends ratification of a contract with Waukesha-Pearce Industries, LLC in the amount of $170,698.00 to replace the power generation equipment unit located at the San Antonio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) building.
This contract was procured on the basis of a Public Health and Safety Exemption and a Contracts Disclosure form is not required.