Consent 1.F.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 02/10/2014
- TITLE
- Purchase Tait Radios for Police and Fire
- PRESENTED BY:
- Rich St. John
- Department:
- Police
Presentation:
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
Clear and reliable communications is absolutely essential for the effective, efficient, and safe delivery of public safety services. Of late, the police, fire, AARF (airport), and communications center personnel have been struggling with poor radio reception, transmission, and failing equipment. Local radio support amounts to a "middle man" sending equipment out of state for repair at an ever increasing price. This situation has become unacceptable because it jeopardizes the ability to deliver safe, efficient public safety services. Currently, the Billings Police Department (BPD) is responsible for approximately 303 radios. Some of these radios were obtained under the BPD umbrella and issued to other operations such as Animal Control, Code Enforcement, and Parking. All of the BPD's sworn personnel (140) have portable radios and approximately 1/3 of administrative and detective cars do not have mobile. The Billings Fire Department is experiencing the same issues with their 40 mobiles and 110 portables. Billings Logan Airport Rescue/Firefighters (AARF) operates the same equipment albeit with additional channels specific to them. Staff is recommending that these unreliable and expensive to repair radios be replaced as soon as possible.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
Since the BPD operates most of the public safety radios, it took the lead on finding a solution to the radio problems. The BPD asked several vendors for solutions. Only a few responded and fewer sent test models. Blind tests were conducted with respondent equipment and it was found that the Tait product performed the best. Specifically, no failures, clear intelligible communications, improved security, and priority service. The City Council may approve purchasing new Tait radios for public safety, it may disapprove the purchase or it may direct staff to pursue another path to improving radio performance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The purchase of the radios for $831,605.25 will be made by using unassigned General Fund, fund balance. The Airport will purchase radios from its budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council approve the purchase of Tait radios for the City's public safety services.