AUDIT COMMITTEE SUMMARY
September 15, 2020
Audit of Information Technology Services Department
Public Safety Radio System Contract
Report Issued August 14, 2020
Audit Objective
Determine if terms of the Public Safety Radio System contract and related Interlocal Agreements (ILA) are adequately monitored to ensure compliance.
Background
The City of San Antonio and Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc. (DWC) entered into a Public Safety Radio System Agreement in March 2018 for approximately $108 million. The agreement also involves an Interlocal Agreement with Bexar County and CPS Energy for shared ownership and management of the new public safety radio system. The new radio system, referred to as the Alamo Area Regional Radio System (AARRS), is a land mobile radio network being constructed to provide the Alamo Area Region a critical system for communications and emergency responses. It is scheduled to replace the current disparate legacy EDACS system by December 2021.
AARRS will interface with an array of applications within the 911 and dispatch centers of Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, and CPS Energy. CPS fiber as well as microwave links will provide redundant connectivity between all data centers, dispatch facilities, and radio towers. AARRS components include 2 redundant data center controllers; 28 radio towers; 13,500 radios; 125 dispatch operator consoles; 60 Police, Fire and EMS agencies; and 50 independent municipalities, school districts, and universities.
Scope & Methodology
The audit scope included contract compliance monitoring efforts related to the Public Safety Radio System Contract for the period March 2018 to December 2019. We reviewed the Contract Administration Plan (CAP) to verify that key elements were included. We also reviewed support documentation for liability insurance, performance and payment bonds, change requests, and Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) certifications.
Conclusions
The Public Safety Radio ...
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