HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2d: Approve a supplemental appropriation for the upfront cost of purchasing Fire Department radio firmwareSTAFF REPORT
Fire Department
DATE: September 4, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tony L. Trabbie, Fire Chief �•-f
By: Kurt Norwood, Deputy Fire Chief / Operations
Yvonne Yeung, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: APPROVE A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION NOT TO EXCEED
$32,500 FOR THE UPFRONT COST OF PURCHASING FIRE
DEPARTMENT RADIO FIRMWARE THAT WILL BE REIMBURSED
THROUGH THE 2009 STATE HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT
PROGRAM
Recommended Action: Approve
SUMMARY
It is recommended the City Council approve a supplemental appropriation in an amount
not to exceed $32,500 and authorize the purchase of firmware to program 70 existing
VHF mobile and portable radios to make them P25- compatible. Fire Department staff
successfully secured grant funds from the 2009 State Homeland Security Grant
Program for this project. The upfront cost of this purchase will be reimbursed through
the grant after the acquisition is completed. No local match is required for this grant.
BACKGROUND
Since the terrorist attacks of 9 -11, Los Angeles County fire and law enforcement
agencies have been proactive in striving for excellent county -wide emergency scene
communications among public safety agencies. Part of the plan is to have all radios be
"P25- compliant" and have the capability to meet the recommendations of the Los
Angeles County fire and law agencies' Radio Tactical Interoperability Communication
Plan (TICP) for common communication.
P25 is a set of standards for digital radio communications that allows public safety
agencies to communicate with other agencies and mutual aid response teams in
emergencies. Federal mandates, the Interagency Communications Interoperability
System ([CIS), and Verdugo Fire Communications are moving towards P25 - compliant
repeater sites and radios. By January 2014, it is estimated that all mobile and portable
radios that are not P25- compliant, or those that do not have the ability to be P25-
compatible in Los Angeles County, may become obsolete.
Fire Department Radio Firmware
September 4, 2012
Page 2 of 2
DISCUSSION
Currently, the Fire Department has 70 VHF mobile and portable radios that are not P25-
compliant. However, those radios have the capability of receiving firmware upgrades to
make them P25- compliant, eliminating the need and expenses to replace them with new
radios. Without the firmware upgrades, those 70 radios can potentially become obsolete
in 2014. Therefore, the radio firmware upgrade project was anticipated to be included in
the City's Equipment Replacement Plan for Fiscal Year 2013 -14.
On August 7, 2012, the Fire Department was made aware of an opportunity to receive
re- distributed funds from the 2009 State Homeland Security Grant Program. Staff
communicated with the grant authority and expressed an interest in receiving funds. In
addition, the Fire Department demonstrated specific communications needs, met the
criteria for re- distribution, and agreed to the required timeline and grant requirements.
On August 8, 2012, the Fire Department was awarded up to $32,500 in grant funding
through the 2009 State Homeland Security Grant Program for the purchase of firmware
to program 70 VHF mobile and portable radios to make them P25 - compatible. A
stipulation of the grant award is that the project must be completed by October 31,
2012. Since this unanticipated grant opportunity became available after the City
Council adoption of the Fiscal Year 2012 -13 Budget, funds are unavailable for the
upfront cost of the firmware in the Fire Department's budget as adopted.
FISCAL IMPACT
The request for appropriation for the upfront cost of this purchase is not to exceed
$32,500, and funds are available in the Equipment Replacement Fund balance to cover
the cost of this purchase. Once the acquisition is completed, the City will be reimbursed
through the 2009 State Homeland Security Grant Program for the cost of the purchase,
not to exceed $32,500. No local match is required for this grant.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council authorize a supplemental appropriation in an
amount not to exceed $32,500 for the upfront cost of purchasing fire department radio
firmware to program 70 existing VHF mobile and portable radios to make them P25-
compatible. The City will be reimbursed for the cost of the purchase, up to $32,500,
through the 2009 State Homeland Security Grant Program.
Approved:
ominic Lazzar o
City Manager