|
||||
|
Date
|
January 25,
2010
|
||
|
Agenda Item
No. 36D Roll
Call No. 10- Communication No. 10-020 Submitted by: Judy A. Bradshaw, Chief of Police |
||||
AGENDA
HEADING:
Approval to purchase radio, console and
software equipment from RACOM Corporation (201 W. State St., Marshalltown,
IA 50158, Mike Miller, President) to
allow the City of Des Moines Public Safety Communications Center to operate at
the Polk County Dispatch Center should it become necessary to abandon the City
of Des Moines Public Safety Communications Center under emergency situations.
SYNOPSIS:
Recommend approval to purchase equipment from RACOM
Corporation for the City of Des Moines Public Safety Communications Center to
operate at the Polk County Dispatch Center under emergency situations. The City’s Public Safety Communications
vulnerability to flooding can be greatly improved by utilizing the Polk County
Sheriff’s Communication Center as an alternate site. The Sheriff’s Office has
agreed to provide the space at their center if the City will provide the
required connectivity to their radio system. RACOM
Corporation is the communications system provider for Polk County. RACOM will
provide the equipment and software to function with their system. The equipment
required to provide this connectivity will be funded by E911 General Funds.
This equipment and software is part of a larger
effort to provide updated and efficient emergency radio and E911 telephone
communications for the City’s Public Safety Departments. It is recommended all
equipment be purchased off of State Contract CT1199-04
FISCAL
IMPACT:
Amount: $113,665.68
Funding Source: Recommended Budget June 30, 2010, GE001,
POL040900, page 233, E911 Reimbursement
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
In June 2008, the City of Des Moines was forced to
contend with another flooding of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. Upon the
recession of the rivers, it was made obvious to the Police and Fire Departments
that the City came very close to losing critical emergency radio communications
when the Des Moines River began to overflow its banks endangering the police
department. This also required the Fire Department to abandon the alternate communications
dispatch site at Fire Station 1.
Because radio communications is such a critical tool
of public safety, it was determined an additional alternate site should be
identified. The Polk County Communications Center was utilized as a backup site
during the flood and was discovered to be a valuable asset to the City’s
dispatching needs.
Polk County has agreed to provide space for an
alternate dispatch site for the City. They have set aside two workstations for
our dispatchers and will require that the City fund the necessary connectivity
with their radio system to allow Computer Aided Dispatch functions and
emergency radio communication. The equipment and software has been identified
by RACOM Corporation who is the emergency radio communications carrier for Polk
County. Since it is RACOM Corporations radio system the City cannot initiate a
competitive bidding process for this equipment but must purchase the equipment from
RACOM to assure compatibility and functionality.
All of the equipment required above has been placed
on State Contract CT1199-04 by the RACOM Corporation. It is the recommendation
of the City’s Procurement Administrator and the Police Department that this
equipment be purchased from the State Contract, which has been competitively
bid in the past.
PREVIOUS
COUNCIL ACTION(S): NONE
BOARD/COMMISSION
ACTION(S): NONE
ANTICIPATED
ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE
For more information on this and other agenda items,
please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office
on the second floor of City Hall,