DATE: May 17, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Roy Nakamura, Chief of Police
By: Amber Abeyta, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: PURCHASE OF PORTABLE HANDHELD RADIOS FROM DAY
WIRELESS SYSTEMS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $104,000
Recommendation: Waive the Formal Bid Process and Approve
SUMMARY
It is recommended that the City Council waive the formal bid process and authorize the purchase of 16 portable handheld radios from Day Wireless Systems in an amount not to exceed $104,000. Funds for this purchase have been budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2021- 22 Equipment Replacement Fund.
BACKGROUND
In 2002, the City received $900,000 in Federal grant funding to update the Police Department’s (“Department”) aging radio network, and all new radios were purchased at that time. Because those radios surpassed their life expectancy, the City began upgrading its inventory of radios in 2010. The radios, base stations, repeaters, and accessories have been placed on a perpetual annual replacement program.
Due to a five-year life expectancy for portable handheld radios, 16 are now in need of replacement. The Department will purchase the latest radio technology, Motorola Model APX 6000, which are Project 25 (“P25”) compliant. P25 is a set of standards for federal, state, and local public safety agencies to provide interoperable emergency communication within a jurisdiction as well as between agencies and mutual aid response teams.
DISCUSSION
Handheld radios are one of the Police Department’s primary means of communication, including responses to 9-1-1 calls, emergency responses, investigations, and traffic enforcement. Motorola radio equipment is currently being utilized for handheld radios and
Purchase of Portable and All-Band Mobile Radios from Day Wireless May 17, 2022
has been the preferred vendor because of compatibility with existing Motorola equipment, such as radio identifiers, battery chargers, batteries, microphones, handsets, and peripherals. The Department will continue using Motorola for its handheld radios.
The City’s purchasing rules allow the Department to use other agencies’ contracts to facilitate purchases, also known as piggyback contracts. Oftentimes, the volume of these contracts alone results in cost savings to the City. For this purchase, the Department will piggyback on the City of Glendale’s Master Purchase and Service Agreement with Motorola Solutions, which is for radios on the Interagency Communications Interoperability (“ICI") network. The Agreement designates local government agencies as eligible purchasers, and the City is an ICI member. The Glendale contract has an extra 4% discount this year in comparison to the Los Angeles County’s Master Purchase Agreement, which the Department normally uses.
By purchasing the equipment under this contract, the Department will ensure compatibility with existing radio infrastructure, P25 compliance, and realize significant savings of approximately $44,395. In addition, Day Wireless Systems is the only authorized dealer the Department can use for the purchase of Motorola’s public safety radios and can deliver at the Glendale piggyback rate.
Given that Day Wireless is the sole authorized dealer for the purchase of Motorola’s public safety radios and the Department will piggyback on the City of Glendale’s Purchase and Service Agreement with Motorola Solutions, it is recommended that the City Council waive the formal bid process and authorize the purchase.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
The radios to be purchased through Day Wireless will not exceed $104,000. Sufficient funds have been allocated in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Equipment Replacement Fund budget.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determines that this project is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); waive the formal bid process and approve the purchase of portable handheld radios from Day Wireless Systems for the Police Department from the Equipment Replacement Fund in an amount not to exceed $104,000.
Purchase of Portable and All-Band Mobile Radios from Day Wireless May 17, 2022