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Home My WebLink AboutIR 8078 INFORMAL REPORT'TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8078 , 0�pR7Eq.p �LgAQ To the Mayor and Members of the City Council July 1, 1997 °aY V J 114.. Subject: FIRE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM Tara Introduction The Fire Station Alerting System is a mechanism that improves Fire Department response time for 9-1-1 services. The station alerting system electronically and automatically alarms selected stations, turns on the lights, prints directions, and opens apparatus doors when a fire company is being dispatched. A station alerting system reduces the time it takes a company to respond. With improved response, the five-minute response zone for a station is effectively enlarged. Without an alerting system where stations must be alarmed manually, response is slowed and the five-minute response zone shrinks. Background Facts About the .,existing.Fire Station Alerting;System 1. RFP in July 1983 Awarded to Electrocom Automation with Contract #13614. 2. Electrocom subcontracted to Wismer and Becker to produce controller equipment. 3. The system was fully installed and operational in the first calendar quarter of 1985. 4. The Fort Worth alerting system is a "one of a kind" system in the entire world — custom designed to meet the particular needs of the city. 5. ISS/Telecommunications assumed full responsibility for the system after it became operational. 6. Wismer and Becker ceased business operations 1987. 7. The current system is not expandable. 8. The current system contains parts for which spares are simply not available. 9. System failures/partial failures take longer and longer to repair as parts need to be acquired or manufactured for the repair. 10. ISS has actually had to have circuit boards manufactured to keep the system functioning. 11. Eventually, a component will fail that ISS simply will not be able to fix — then the system will be out of service permanently. fIr — ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER — – - FORT WORTH.TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20:72 1 Al A.......� cw� ��o eo` ,Pf0 � To the Mayor and Members of the City Council July 1, 1997 ox° Page 2 of 4 Subject: FIRE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM 1879 Impetus for a New System In March 1994 a fire resulted in the loss of 4 lives. This event focused attention on the Fire Station Alerting System. While the station alerting system did not contribute to the loss of lives, it was determined to be in need of replacement. The City Council in April 1994 directed staff to pursue this issue. The city subsequently contracted with Public Technology, Inc. (PTI) for a complete analysis of its public safety communication systems, which include the station alerting system. PTI agreed that the system needed to be replaced and suggested that such a system would cost in the one-half million dollar range. Outline of Proiect Euents: 1. An RFP was release for the first time March 1996 that produced bids ranging between $2.8 - $3.1 million dollars. 2. Bids were rejected by Council with M&C P-7900 on May 7, 1996. 3. Staff was directed by Council to try again with a substantially revised RFP. 4. The RFP was substantially revised and re-released in October 1996. 5. Responses to the RFP were received December 1996 from 2 bidders (Electrocom & Motorola). 6. Bid analysis, proof of concept testing and vendor negotiations were completed just two weeks ago. 7. Participating in the project in varying capacities were: • Captain Dennis Wynne, Fire Communications • Deputy Chief Jim Tidwell, Fire • Lieutenant Charlie Brown, Fire Communications • David Bragg, Budget • John Wally, Purchasing Administrator • Paul Glenn, Purchasing • Pat Diffee, Purchasing • Ken Steinharter, ISS Software • Johnny Wood, ISS Software • Chuck Graves, ISS Telecommunications • John Barnett, ISS Telecommunications • Peter Ungar, ISS Telecommunications — ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS INF RMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 0- To the Mayor and Members of the City Council July 1, 1997 X1 Page 3 of 4 e%% >ezas 18T3 Subject: FIRE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM Bid Analvsis 1. Staff recommends that Motorola be awarded the contract for the new Fire Station Alerting System. 2. Motorola made two bids, one of $1,349,086 and one of $1,297,952. Electrocom's bid was $977,469.03. 3. Staff team visited Electrocom factory in Santa Fe Springs, California. 4. Electrocom's reference site was Reno Transit Commission which was visited by the team. 5. Motorola reference sites in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Kansas City, Kansas were visited by the team. 6. Low Bidder was not selected for the following reasons: • Lowest overall points after analysis even though they had the low initial bid price. • Main business is transit systems – not Fire departments. • Offered a modified transit solution never before constructed or installed anywhere. • Could not provide references with Fire Alert Systems other than the existing Fort Worth system, much of which was subcontracted in 1984. • Design based on very old technology (80386 micro processor). • During visits and analysis Electrocom had to substantially modify their bid because their original bid did not meet our specifications to include the Emergency Operations Center and Backup Public Safety Answering Point. • Old-style printers proposed for stations were very slow – thus slowing response when speed is the reason for an alerting system. • The City did not want to undergo the pains of having a system installed that would be "one of a kind" and the enormous risk involved as well as the cost in personnel time. 7. Motorola's contract price, after negotiations, is $1,042,753. — ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER---- — -- FORT WORTH.TEXAS-- INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8078 GHpRTFR�raawu, To the Mayor and Members of the City Council July 1, 1997 � UB�gS Page 4 of 4 f oho � 4t rex ns Subject: 1873 FIRE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM Issues The existing system needs to be replaced. A thorough analysis of the market place through two different RFP's for the same kind of system indicate that there exists only two bidders for such a system. The current system is not expandable. Soon, stations 36 and 37 will be added to the Fire Department and will not be able to be connected to the existing system. Anything that slows company response to an alarm is unacceptable since the Fire Department response to a 9-1-1 call is measured in seconds. A decision not to award the contract for a new Fire Station Alerting System to Motorola will: 1. Delay a project that replaces a key piece of technology that serves public safety in Fort Worth, there by increasing the city's risk of not being able to respond effectively and quickly to 9-1-1 calls for, fire emergencies. 2. Probably mean that Motorola would not be a bidder in any subsequent RFP that the city might issue for an alerting system. 3. Probably result in an increased cost when a contract is awarded. On June 24, 1997, Motorola agreed to hold their negotiated bid price until July 8, 1997. If the city does not make a decision by that time, they intend to withdraw their bid entirely. �30err 1 City Ma alter ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS