HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/21/2000 - STAFF REPORTS (5) DATE: June 21, 2000
TO: City Council
FROM: Procurement Manager and Fire Chief
APPROVE PURCHASE OF MOBILE SATELLITE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FOR THE
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that City Council approve the purchase of mobile satellite telephone
equipment from Nida Companies of La Crescents,CA in the amount of$20,115.97 for use in
the City's Disaster Preparedness Program.
BACKGROUND:
The Fire Department desires to implement a significant enhancement to the City's Disaster
Preparedness Program by acquiring four (4) satellite telephones. The operation of these
phones is completely independent of any land-based system in the Western United States and
they would thus provide reliable communications during any local or widespread telephone
outage.
The Riverside County Operational Area provides oversight and coordination of all disaster-
related issues within the County and it's EMA Grant Committee is the agent for dissemination
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Grants. The City
has received funding for 51% of the expense of acquiring the satellite telephones from the
County's EMA Grant Committee subject to conditions established by the Committee.
Because compatibility of satellite telephone systems is essential to ensure communications
between all County and State agencies,the EMA Grant Committee conditioned the receipt of
grant funding on the ability of the phones to support a talk-around group via satellite telephone
which allows agency-to-agency communications independent from any ground-based systems.
This requirement ensures that all agencies in Riverside County are using the same system and
can communicate during a disaster. Only three models of Mitsubishi satellite telephones are
eligible to meet the grant requirements.
The Procurement Manager,pursuantto the requirements of Section 3.12.270.6 of the Municipal
Code, finds that the competitive process conducted by the Orange County Fire Authority
(Purchase Order No. P0001257, copy on file with the Office of the City Clerk)for the proposed
equipment is adequate to protect the public Interest, and the total cost of the materials and
training is likely to be less than could be obtained through an independent City competitive
process.
The equipment will be distributed as follows:one fixed site phone will be located at the Police
Department to interface with the radio dispatch console;one portable unit will be located at the
Police Department;one portable unit will be located in the Emergency operations Center at City
Hall; and one mobile unit will be located in the on-duty Fire Department Battalion Chiefs
Command Vehicle for immediate use in the field.
Approve purchase of satellite phones
June 21, 2000
Page 2
The City will receive $10,259.14 in grant funding from the EMA Grant Committee. The City's
portion of$9,856.83 is available forthis purpose in the following account:3522-50015 Disaster,
Specialized Equipment Account.
On-going costs for the satellite phones include maintenance and phone service via the satellite
system. The satellite phone service is available from only a single source, the operator of the
satellite upon which the system resides. The City's Disaster Preparedness Budget will provide
for the on-going costs.
HAROLD E. GOOD BARTA. FR T
Procurement Manager Fire Chief
APPR/CWED:
/ City Manager
0 Attachment: (1) Minute Order
EO11FIKOFFiIM
3��
MINUTE ORDER NO.
APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF MOBILE
SATELLITE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FROM
NIDA COMPANIES OF LA CRESCENT& CA IN
THE AMOUNT OF$20,115.97 FOR USE IN THE
CITY'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
PROGRAM.
I HEREBY CERTIFYthat this Minute Order approving the purchase of mobile satellite telephone
equipment from Nida Companies of La Crescents, CA in the amount of$20,115.97 for use in
the City's Disaster Preparedness Program,was approved by the City Council of the City of Palm
Springs, Califomia in a meeting thereof held on the 21 st day of June, 2000.
PATRICIA A. SANDERS
City Clerk
37vo)