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Home My WebLink About10/21/2003, C4 - RADIO SYSTEM UPGRADE DESIGN SERVICES . � 1 DCouncil 10-21-03 aac,Enaa RepoRt mnN�be Y� CITY OF SAN LUIS OBI SPO (`� FROM: Bill Statler, Director of Finance & Information Technology Steve Schmidt, Telecommunications Supervisor SUBJECT: RADIO SYSTEM UPGRADE DESIGN SERVICES CAO RECOMMENDATION Approve the request for proposals for design services to upgrade the City's radio system and authorize the CAO to award the contract if it if within the project budget of$85,000. DISCUSSION Background The City's existing radio system has been pieced together over the past 20 to 30 years, and is unreliable and technologically obsolete. A dependable, up-to-date radio communications system is critical to the basic mission of the entire organization, especially for emergency response services. For this reason, the City's 2001-05 Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan identified upgrading the City's mission-critical radio system as one its highest priority initiatives. These findings were largely based on the age of the system: the manufacturer no longer supports our equipment and spare parts are not available for many parts of the system. The topography of the City also contributes to the radio system deficiencies: because it is extremely hilly, there are many shadowed or dead areas, resulting in missed radio calls to emergency responders and other radio system users. Workscope We recommend contracting with a highly-qualified radio communications consultant to plan and design improvements to our radio communications system. An excerpt from the request for proposals (RFP) detailing the design workscope is provided in Attachment 1, summarized as follows: 1. Analyze our current system, including frequency requirements, signal coverage, emergency power supplies,.transmitting and receiving equipment, tower and antenna equipment. 2. Evaluate options to improve system performance, and make recommendations. 3. Develop performance standards and specifications for bid documents for the improvements, and assist in evaluating proposals. Radio System Upgrade Design Services Page 2 Proposal Evaluation As set forth in the RFP, proposals will be evaluated by a staff review committee based on the following criteria: i. Understanding of the work required by the City. 2. Quality, clarity and responsiveness of the proposal. 3. Demonstrated competence and professional qualifications necessary for successfully performing the work required by the City. 4. Recent experience in successfully performing similar services. 5. Proposed approach in completing the work. 6. References. 7. Background and related experience of the specific individuals to be assigned to this project. 8. Proposed compensation. As reflected above, contract award will not be based solely on price, but on a combination of factors as determined to be in the best interest of the City. Project Schedule The following summarizes the proposal review and contract award schedule for the design services consultant: Radio System Improvements: Design Consultant Seiection Issue RFP October 2003 Receive and evaluate proposals November 2003 Award and execute the contract December 2003 Start design work January 2004 The following summarizes the balance of the project schedule in completing the radio system upgrade improvements: Improvements: -Radio System Complete system design April 2004 Finalize RFP and receive Council authorization to June 2004 request proposals for system improvements Receive proposals July 2004 Complete proposal evaluation and award contract September 2004 Complete system improvements June 2005 As reflected above, the selection of the design services consultant is the next step in a much longer process in completing the radio system upgrade. �yz Radio System Upgrade Design Services Page 3 FISCAL IMPACT Project Costs The 2003-05 Financial Plan provides funding in the amount of$1,073,100 for the radio system upgrade: $85,000 for design services and $988,100 for equipment acquisition, installation and construction management (Page 277 of Appendix B: Capital Improvement Plan). To date, no funds have been spent on the project. Project Funding As set forth in the 2003-05 Financial Plan, 80% of the project cost will be funded by General Fund, and 10% each from the Water and Sewer Funds. In accordance with the City's debt management policies, the Council approved debt-financing this upgrade through a ten-year lease-purchase agreement. While debt service payments are not projected to begin until the 2005-07 Financial Plan, the annual cost for the radio system upgrade will be about $125,000. Since adoption of the 2003-05 Financial Plan, we have been awarded $412,200 in FEMA grant funds for public safety radio and dispatch system improvements. Of this amount, $212,200 is applicable to the radio system upgrade (the balance of $200,000 is applicable to the dispatch system improvements). As such, future year General Fund debt service costs will be reduced by about$25,000 annually due to this grant. ATTACHMENTS 1. Workscope Excerpt from the RFP 2. Proposers List AVAILABLE IN THE COUNCIL READING FILE RFP: Design Services for Radio System Upgrade G:Information Technology/Radio System Upgrade/Council Agenda Report,Design RFP �y-3 �1 Attachment 1 Workscope Excerpt from the RFP Section A DESCRIPTION OF WORK OVERVIEW Purpose The City wants to contract with a highly-qualified radio communications consultant to plan and design improvements to our radio communications system. As detailed below, this work will include evaluating our current system, assessing frequency requirements, analyzing signal coverage, recommending solutions, developing performance standards and specifications for bid documents for the improvements, and assisting the City in evaluating proposals. Background The City's existing radio system has been pieced together for the past 20 to 30 years, and is unreliable and technologically obsolete. A dependable, up-to-date radio communications system is critical to the basic mission of the entire organization, especially for emergency response services. For this reason, the City's 2001-05 Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan identified upgrading the City's radio system and emergency dispatch center as one its highest priority technology initiatives. These findings were based on the age of the equipment, the inability to maintain the existing equipment with replacement parts and technical support and the need to improve the City's wireless voice communications. The topography of the City also contributes to the radio system deficiencies: because it is extremely hilly, there are many shadowed or dead areas, resulting in missed radio calls to emergency responders and other radio system users. An excerpt from the IT Strategic Plan addressing the radio system needs is provided in Exhibit A. Current System Overview The City currently has a total of 100 UHF and VHF mobile radios, 160 UHF and VHF hand held radios, 26 base station radios, three voting receiver sites, eight transmitters and repeaters, three mountaintop radio sites along with the police radio tower and Emergency Operations Center located at Fire Station 1. All mountaintop locations and the police and fire stations have emergency back-up generators. An excerpt from the IT Strategic Plan diagramming the City's radio backbone infrastructure and components is in Exhibit B. Proposed System Goals The City wants to take advantage of current technologies and to implement a"Project 25"compliant radio system that is interoperable both internally within the City and externally with other agencies. We envision that this is going to require implementing an integrated, VHF/UHF-FM analog/digital, trunked radio communications system to improve interoperability, between key City departments, including Police, Fire, Public Works, Utilities and Parks & Recreation. A new public safety radio system will include new base stations at existing City locations, new primary and back-up transmitters and receivers, Pagel ell- I I Attachment 1 Workscope Excerpt from the RFP upgraded emergency power supplies at all sites, new and upgraded tower(s) and antenna facilities; new mobile and handheld radios. Project Oversight The City has put in place a project team comprised of representatives of all user departments. This team will be led by the Information Technology Division, with oversight from the City's IT Steering Committee: PROJECT TASKS The following summarizes tasks to be completed by the consultant: 1. Needs Assessment. Conduct the needs assessment by becoming familiar with the methodology used to receive and dispatch emergency calls for City emergency police and fireservices, as well as City services. The City will provide the consultant with an overview of the existing radio system 2. Frequency Assessment. Provide the Review Team with a current radio frequency assessment; recommend any additional frequency requirements; and apply to the FCC and obtain new frequencies in the City's name as needed, in addition to any modifications to existing licenses. The City will pay for any license fees separately from this proposal. 3. Radio Signal Coverage Analysis. Conduct a radio signal coverage analysis study of the City to determine the optimal transmitter and remote voter receiver site locations, including remote locations and shadowed areas;and recommend solutions to correct existing problem areas. 4. Emergency Power Supplies. Evaluate emergency power supplies to primary and redundant transmitter sites along with voter receiver sites. Emergency power options must be adequate to assure continuous emergency communications. All emergency power generators will be assessed and recommendations submitted for emergency power upgrades. Emergency generators now exist at all mountaintop sites, Fire Stations and the Police Department. A second design team will implement the recommended emergency power upgrades. 5. Transmitting and Receiving Equipment. Evaluate and assess the capabilities of various types and manufacturers of radio transmitting and voter receiving equipment, base stations, handheld and mobile radios, and recommend the best solutions for the City.. This analysis will include the feasibility of integrating remote voter receivers into the new City fiber cable ring. 6. Assessment of Existing Tower and Antenna Sites. Evaluate existing tower and antenna sites, and recommend additional antennas and/or replacement of existing towers and antennas as needed; if applicable, apply for antenna and tower permits, in the City's name, from the FCC and the FAA for any new installations and replacements. The City will pay any permit fees separately from this proposal. 7. Interoperability. Analyze options and make recommendations regarding database management and system configuration to assure that the new system will be "Project 25" compliant. The new radio system must meet interoperability requirements by crossing VHF/UHF-FM digital/analog narrow and wide bands. The City must be able to communicate effectively with all local and state agencies, including Cal Poly Police, County Probation, Cal Poly Dispatch, Med Com, California Department of Page 2 Attachment 1 Workscope_Excerpt from the RFP Forestry, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Department, County Narcotics Task Force, California Highway Patrol, California Fish and Game, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other "Central Coast" police and fire departments. S. Staffing and Maintenance Requirements. Evaluate staffing and other support requirements to maintain the proposed system based on existing load demands and estimated growth, including projected recurring and maintenance cost, and technician training requirements that will arise with the implementation of a new radio system. 9. Plans and Specifications. Provide the City with performance-based requirements and specifications for the final proposed radio system and/or options. These should be provided in sufficient detail that they can be directly incorporated into the City's Request for Proposal (RFP) for system equipment and installation. In preparing these documents, the consultant must clearly outline the advantages and disadvantages of all reasonable options, including project cost estimates. 10. Proposal Review. Assist the City in evaluating proposals, conducting negotiations with prospective vendors and recommending contract award. Assistance with New/Upgraded Public Safety Dispatch Console and Equipment Concurrently with our radio system upgrade, we also plan to upgrade our public safety (police and fire) console and dispatch equipment. While this is likely to be a separate contract from this one, the consultant will need to work closely with that project team in ensuring a smooth integration between the two projects, and provide advice and make recommendations as appropriate. This is an integral part of this workscope; however, due to the indeterminate nature of this coordination at this time, this work will be compensated on a"time and materials"basis, and should not be included in the proposed "lump sum" compensation. CONSULTANT EXPERIENCE The following summarizes the significant experience that we expect the successful proposerto bring to this project: 1. Planning,designing and implementing public safety radio systems. 2. Knowledge about computer aided dispatch, public safety management, mobile data systems, fire station alerting/notification systems,public safety communications center radio and telephone console equipment and interfaces. 3. Creating detailed project plans, technical contract language, performance criteria and preparing public sector bid documents related to the design and implementation of projects similar to this one. 4. Working knowledge in the trends and directions of public safety radio networks, including VHF/UHF-FM narrow band digital trunked radio systems,"Project 25" implications, interoperability issues. 5. Working knowledge and experience with fiber optic transport applications. Page 3 { Attachment 1 Workscope Excerpt from the RFP 6. Ability to work effectively with the project manager and review team, and routinely keep them informed of progress and strategies throughout the project, both in written and oral form as required during the course of the work. 7. Demonstrated ability to complete the work required in a timely fashion, and to provide oral presentations and conduct user group meetings at all levels of the City up to and including City Council presentations. DESIGN BUDGET The City has budgeted$85,000 for this work. TIMEFRAME The City would like to complete this design work within 90 days after contract execution. Page 4 Attachment 2 Proposers List Macro Corporation Edgewater Company 4377 County Line Road Craig Guglielmetti,NCT Chalfont,PA 18914 San Francisco,California Gartner Consulting CSI Telecommunications Engineers 5950 Canoga Avenue Michael S. Newman,NCE Suite 600 San Francisco,California Woodland Hills,CA.91367 Phone: (415)751-8845 Email: info@csitele.com Expert Wireless Solutions 8221 Old Courthouse Road William F.Ruck,NCE Broadcast Engineer Suite 200 Vienna,VA 22182 San Francisco,California Phone: (415)564-1450 Day Wireless Systems Email: bruck@ieee.org 430 Dexter Avenue N. Seattle,WA 98109 Command Productions Warren Weagant,NCT Mark Shryock,NCT San Francisco,California Cedar Glen,California Phone: (415)332-3161 Phone: (909)337-0138 Email: warren@commandproductions.com Email:shrvockone@aol.com Info-Tecmation Stephen Greenwood,NCE Michael Vargo,NCT Concord,California San Jose,California Phone: (925)689-8036 Email:infocommike@aol.com Email:stephenareenwood4009@yahoo.com Rodger P.Marty, NCE,Consultant Scott Enterprises Automation Squaw Valley,California Citrus Heights,California Phone: (559)332-2252 Phone: (916)729-2347 Email: rmarty@iymis.com Bill Dining,NCE Nicholson Communications Montebello,California Tom Nicholson,NCT Phone:(323)726-7739 Temple City,California Email: wdining@earthlink.net Phone:626-443-1062 Email: nichcom@hotmail.com Network Integration,ADS Monterey Mickey Spurrier,NCE Chips&Kattuz,Inc. Monterey,California Michael Siwula,NCE Phone: (831)646-1533 x242 Valencia,California Email: msnurrier@adsxmty.com Phone: (661)254-0974 Email: msiwula@earthlink.net Heffernan Consulting James Heffernan,NCE T&C Systems Palos Verdes Peninsula,California Cesar D.Llanes,NCE ham://heffeman.8k.com Walnut,California Phone: (909)595-7777 Arturo A.Crespo,NCT Email:cllanes@ix.netcom.com Pleasanton,California Phone:(925)224-1978 Westel Holdings Email: aacresoo@att.com John P.Ryan,NCE Incline Village,Nevada Gillespie,Prodhon&Associates,Inc. Phone: (888)748-3626 E.Robin Smyth,NCE Email: w6loa@aol.com San Carlos,California Phone: (650)637-2000 C'7_J