HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/16/2000 - STAFF REPORTS (16) Date: February 16, 2000
To: City Council
From: Fire Chief
AUTHORIZE A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $50,000 FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING A WIRELESS WIDE-AREA NETWORK FOR THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council authorize a budget amendment in the
amount of$50,000 for the purpose of acquiring a wireless wide-area network for
the Fire Department.
BACKGROUND:
The Fire Department has utilized dial-up telephone lines with modems for
computer data transmissions between the five fire stations and the Fire Training
Facility for the past 10 years. The existing maximum 56 baud modem speed
between the remote sites (fire stations and Fire Training Facility) has proved to be
unacceptable.
During the past years, staff have investigated the cost of (1) leasing high speed
data lines, (2) cable television service, and (3) microwave technologies for the
purpose of transmitting computer data. High-speed data lines (T-1) would cost
between $130,000 for six sites and $215,000 for ten sites over a three year period.
The computer data transmission demands include email, emergency response
report data, dispatcher-generated information including CAD, and Internet access.
Timely and accurate data related to emergency responses is needed to assess
quality control and service performance.
Another objective has been to consider opportunities for live and delayed video
transmissions from the Fire Training Facility to all Fire Department facilities.
This capability would drastically reduce the frequency in which the fire
suppression/emergency personnel would be required to leave their respective
first-response areas to attend training at the Fire Training Facility. Although the
Fire Training Facility is centrally located, having all emergency response
personnel attending classroom training at the site increases the emergency service
response time to all areas except Fire Station#2's response area (the Fire Training
Facility is within Fire Station#2's response area). The high-speed data lines (T-1)
provide very poor and unacceptable video quality.
It has been our desire to find a technology which would diminish or remove our
dependency on the local telephone provider. The manager of Time Warner Cable r
has confirmed the upgrading of their system to fiber optic cable, and their
anticipated entry into the data transmission market in two years. If Time Warner
Cable eventually becomes an alternative, it would also necessitate a monthly
service charge per site. However, the cost of a cable wide area network service
and equipment is unknown.
Ito Pow
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the technology exists for wireless
radio frequency or microwave data and video transmission. The Fire Department
has identified ten facilities which require an inter connection (five fire stations,
the Fire Training Facility, the Downtown Experience Office, the Police/Fire
Dispatch Center, the Edom Hill communication site, and the Emergency
Operations Center). Each site might require a non-penetrating roof-mounted, ten
foot mast antenna and transceiver equipment to interface with the computers and
video equipment. Initial estimates obtained almost a year ago during the
development of the FY-99/00 budget suggested the wireless wide-area network
would cost approximately $70,000 for six sites. $70,000 was programmed in the
Fire Department's budget for a wireless wide-area network. Subsequent to the
development of this year's budget, a preliminary engineering review was
performed which identified the need for ten sites rather than the original six sites,
and a refined estimated cost of$115,000. An additional $5,000 may be required
for three personal computers.
The Fire Department's FY-99/00 budget (001-3520-50015) includes the original
$70,000 estimate. It is hereby requested that $50,000 be appropriated from fund
balance to bring the total allocation earmarked for a wireless wide-area network to
$120,000. It should be noted that the procurement process may require these
funds to be continued into FY-00/01.
Fire ChieeT
irector of Communication ViA9Sr:QaY tC6t,, r, r 0-aJ,
L✓�f�f'lTi�O'SC0 � °_
Interim City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Minute Order
2. Budget Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 19750
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR
THE 1999-00 FISCAL YEAR.
WHEREAS Resolution 19541, approving the budget for the fiscal year
1999-00 was adopted on June 16, 1999; and
WHEREAS the City Manager has recommended, and the City Council
desires to approve, certain amendments to said budget;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Director of Finance is
authorized to record inter-fund cash transfers as required in
accordance with this Resolution, and that Resolution 19541,
adopting the budget for the 1999-00 fiscal year is hereby amended
as follows:
SECTION 1. ADDITIONS
FUND Activity Account Amount
No.
261 3600 53000 $ 50,000
Title:
ti
Capital Projects Fire Improvements Fire Dept. Capital
Improvements
Purpose:
To provide funds for Fire Department Capital Improvements
SECTION 2 . SOURCE
FUND Activity Account Amount
No. 001 29301
$ 50,000
Title:
General Fund Fund Balance
Adopted this 16th day of February. 2000
AYES: Members Hodges, Oden, Reller-Spurgin and Mayor Kleindienst
NOES: Member Jones
ABSENT: None
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
By
City Clerk City Manager
REVIEWED AND APPROVED AS TO FORM