HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9408INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
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To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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July 19, 2011
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SUBJECT: City of Fort Worth Public Safety Radio Communications System
Council received an email from an Area Sales Manager of the Harris Corporation identifying
concerns about the bid process and some of the new technology being purchased as part of the
new Public Safety Radio System. The purpose of this report is to provide Council additional
information about the procurement process and new technology.
The contract was awarded using cooperative contract, as permitted under State Law.
Competitive bidding was not required since the cooperative contract had already been
competitively bid by the Houston - Galveston Area Council.
Although Fort Worth did not solicit proposals through a formal RFP process, a considerable
amount of due diligence was conducted by staff and the City's consultants, Buford Goff &
Associates. This was to ensure the proposal received from Motorola reflected pricing comparable
to or better than, that available through a formal bid process.
Award of this contract includes the following additional benefits:
• Reduced time line in the bidding process - The formal bidding process would have added at
least two years to the implementation of a new system. Given the concerns for the reliability
of the City's 19- year -old system, extending the life of the system was not advisable.
• Ability to maintain Fort Worth's initial investment — This contract includes Motorola
maintenance and support for the existing system until implementation of the new system.
• Smooth transition - This will allow for the smoothest transition from the old system to the new
system for Fort Worth and the other 15 jurisdictions in Tarrant County that use system.
• Allows future opportunities to use other vendors' radios on the system - Because P25 is an
international standard, users will have the opportunity to consider acquiring any standard P25
radio for use on the system.
The contract also includes new technology, long -term evolution (LTE) equipment, for operational
testing. LTE is a developing new data standard that will improve the speed and amount of
information that can be delivered wirelessly. It will be a tremendous step forward for public safety
providers who require information quickly. Staff is working closely with the State and others in the
region for this deployment and in developing the technology standards, operating procedures,
etc. for this new technology.
If you have any questions, please contact Steve Streiffert, Acting Director IT Solutions, at 817-
392 -2221.
Tam Higgins
. Interim City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS