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County Administrator's Report 13. 16.
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| BCC Regular Meeting |
Budget & Finance Consent |
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| RECOMMENDATION: |
Recommendation Concerning an Upgrade of the County Microwave Radio Network and P25 Radio System - Michael D. Weaver, Public Safety Department Director
That the Board take the following action concerning the upgrade of the County Microwave Radio Network and P25 Radio System:
A. Approve the upgrade of the County Microwave Radio Network and P25 Radio System, for the amount of $3,598,997, based on a combination of discounts using the State of Alabama Two Way Radio Contract #4012695 and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) Contract No. RA05-12, Radio Communication/Emergency Response & Mobile Interoperability Equipment (Contracts used in the purchase of the original P25 radio system in 2010);
B. Approve, and authorize the Chairman to sign, the Communications System Agreement between Motorola Solutions, Inc., and Escambia County, for the purpose of the upgrades; and
C. Approve the issuance of a Purchase Order to Motorola Solutions, Inc., for the purpose of payment, in accordance with the Agreement.
[Funding: Fund 352, LOST III Fund, Cost Center 330435]
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| BACKGROUND: |
There are several critical phases of the Public Safety communications system that require upgrades;
• Microwave Radio Network
• ASTRO 25 Software Upgrade
• Receiver Site Upgrades
• Public Safety Microwave Site Redundant Backhaul
• Englewood Microwave Tower Site
This bundled purchase reduces “a la carte” pricing and includes our continued use of our local CES Team One Communications, Inc. for maintenance and installation.
Microwave Network System: Escambia County’s Microwave Loop System (California Microwave (CM) provides the transport bandwidth for Public Safety’s Radio Network; Escambia County Fire, EMS, Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, Code Enforcement, Animal Control, School Board, ECAT and Road Prison. The system was manufactured by Microwave Networks Incorporated (MNI) and installed in 1997. It is the backbone of our radio network and has been “rock solid” for 17 years with no major failures experienced. In July 2009, MNI notified all customers that CM replacement and repair products were no longer being manufactured. Due to the critical nature of this equipment, it is imperative to replace this system before parts become unavailable and a possible catastrophic failure occurs that cripples Public Safety communications.
ASTRO 25 Software Upgrade: When Escambia County purchased Motorola’s P25 Digital UHF (ASTRO 25) Radio System in 2010, the OS software version was 7.9. Version 7.14 was released in the fourth quarter of 2013. To stay current for receipt of security and OS patch updates, the system core must be upgraded to the current OS version. Failure to do so could have serious consequences in the future. Upgrading to the latest version software will reduce annual maintenance costs by approximately $60,000.
Receiver Site Upgrades: Our 2010 purchase of the P25 Digital UHF Radio System allowed for the new system to be engineered to the same level of radio coverage of our prior system. Although the new system provides improved coverage, we continue to have radio coverage issues that had been known and dealt with for years. This upgrade will enhance the spotty coverage areas significantly and reduce the potential for mission critical radio transmissions significantly. The sites to be upgraded are: Scenic Heights Tower, Don Sutton Tower, and Century Water Tank Site.
Public Safety Microwave Site Redundant Backhaul: The link between the master radio core (located within the Public Safety Building Complex) and the Public Safety Microwave Tower Site, which is the critical link between all sites, is a single fiber connection. Loss of this connection is a single point of failure, which could easily degrade public safety communications. This upgrade will provide the optimum solution using a microwave hop and automatic switching for the fiber connection.
Englewood Microwave Tower Site: The City of Pensacola is currently replacing the Englewood tower site. This site includes systems for Sheriff’s Office, Fire, EMS, and Code Enforcement radios. This purchase includes relocating these antennas and associated equipment to the new tower.
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| BUDGETARY IMPACT: |
| Funding is available for this upgrade in Fund 352, LOST III Fund, Cost Center 330435. |
| LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF: |
| Assistant County Attorney Kristin Hual has approved the Agreement as to form and legal sufficiency. |
| PERSONNEL: |
| N/A |
| POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION: |
| This recommendation is in compliance with Escambia County Code of Ordinance Chapter 46, Article II, Purchases and Contracts. |
| IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION: |
| Following Board approval and full execution of the Communications System Agreement, the Public Safety Department will initiate a purchase requisition. Michael Moring, Communications Division Manager, will monitor the project and Agreement. |
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