Title
A Resolution accepting the recommendation of the Chief Procurement Officer for the purchase and installation of a P-25 Phase II Linear Simulcast Trunked Digital Radio System from Communications International (CI) under its contract with Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office, pursuant to Section 2-978, Use Of Other Governmental Unit Contracts ("piggyback") of the Procurement Code.
Body
The City's E-911 Dispatch Center currently has eight C3 Maestro dispatch consoles with five (5) dating to 1999, and two (2) other consoles dating to 2009. These consoles operate 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Based on the current age of the consoles and non-availability of new replacement parts for the Maestro Consoles, a major failure of City's radio system serving the Police and Fire Departments as well other City Departments could occur at any time. The age of these consoles also makes the repair of any failure more difficult and less timely as new parts are not available, and used parts of approximately the same age may be unreliable. In addition, the age of the City's current radio system does not provide for a seamless interoperable public safety digital radio network.
To address this serious threat to emergency communications and to improve system interoperability, the City retained Tusa Consulting Services II, LLC (TCS), a radio consulting firm experienced in the field of public safety radio communications, to provide consulting services associated with the development, design, procurement and implementation of an 800 MHz APCO Project 25 Simulcast Trunked Digital Public Safety Grade Radio Communications System. TCS' scope of services also included an assessment of user agency needs, development of conceptual solutions and recommendations for a new interoperable radio communications configuration.
As a result of TCS examination of the City's radio communication system requirements they have determined that a complete 10 channel 800 MHz APCO P-25 Phase II Linear Simulcast Trunked Digital Radio System (upgradeable to 20 channels) will best meet the needs of the City of Coral Gables. To achieve the goal of a community-wide 800 MHz Digital Trunked (P-25) Simulcast System, TCS recommends that the procurement of equipment and system implementation be comprehensive and include all aspects of the desired voice network, including the RF infrastructure, inter-site connectivity, dispatch subsystem, and user equipment. In addition, all fixed equipment should be upgraded to be fully compatible with the vendor's latest available 800 MHz P-25 Phase II Infrastructure. Similarly, most user equipment (portable and mobile radios) should be replaced to meet 800 MHz P-25 Phase II compatibility. In order to maximize the use of previously invested funds, some existing user equipment will be reused, in a less critical role, to support City operations.
As recommended by the consultant, it is the intent of the Procurement Division to purchase the required equipment and related services for the installation of the P-25 Phase II Linear Simulcast Trunked Digital Radio System by using a contract from Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office, from Communication International (CI), a distributor for Harris Corporation. This contract may be piggybacked by the City under Section 2-978 of the Procurement Code entitled "Use of Other Governmental Unit Contracts (Piggyback)," as it is an active contract that was competitively solicited. Purchasing this equipment under a piggyback contract will provide the timeliest method of procurement given the critical nature of this equipment and potential for a major failure of the existing radio system.