Fremont City Council Meeting: 09/15/26 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Police Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5805) DOC ID: 5805
Updated: 9/9/2026 9:50 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 Radio Services Provided by East Bay Regional Communications System Authority (EBRCSA) - Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order for Annual Operating Payments/Renewals and Execute Implementing Documents with EBRCSA for Use of the Public Safety Radio Communications System.
Contact Persons:
Name: Diane Brasil Lance Brede
Title: Police Business Manager Deputy Chief
Div/Dept: Police Department Police Department
Phone: 510-790-6816 (510) 790-6930
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The Fremont Police, Fire, Maintenance Operations, Community Development, Community Services, and Public Works departments currently use approximately 919 radios on the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority (EBRCSA) public safety radio system.
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to issue a purchase order for the annual operating payment to EBRCSA in an amount not to exceed $408,036 for the one-year period effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and execute implementing documents as necessary.
Background: The EBRCSA Public Safety Radio System was designed and built to provide coverage and interoperability to agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The system improves officer safety, eliminates duplication of overlapping independent radio systems, and provides interoperable voice communications for users. All police, fire agencies, and the Sheriff's Offices in Alameda and Contra Costa counties use the EBRCSA public safety radio system for communications. Other districts, such as Ohlone Community College District, Contra Costa Community College District, Dublin-San Ramon Services District, and the University of California-Berkeley, also use the EBRCSA radio system.
The EBRCSA public safety radio system provides the critical radio communications infrastructure needed by the Police and Fire Departments to deliver essential public safety services to the community and surrounding cities in the event of a major disaster or emergency. Other City Council Staff Report (ID # 5805) Meeting of September 15, 2026 Updated: 9/9/2026 9:50 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 departments, including Maintenance Operations, Community Development, Community Services, and Public Works, currently use the EBRCSA radio system for radio communications within the respective departments, with each other and with the Police and Fire Departments.
Discussion/Analysis: The annual operating costs have remained at $360 per subscriber since FY 2019/20. However, the EBRCSA Board of Directors has raised the price to $444 per subscriber due to system upgrades and is currently working on a 10-year cost plan.
In FY 2026/27, the City has approximately 919 radios on the EBRCSA public safety radio system listed in the following table:
Department/Division Radios
Police 511
Fire 255
Maintenance Operations/Admin, Buildings, Fleet, HazMat, Streets, Parks
94 Community Development/Code Enforcement, Environmental Services, Inspection
31 Community Services/Recreation 13
Public Works/Engineering-Construction Inspection 15
Total 919
Fiscal Impact: The annual operating payment for the one-year period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, is $408,036 (919 radios at $444 per subscriber). There are sufficient funds for the annual operating payment appropriated in the FY 2026/27 operating budgets for each department/division.
Environmental Review: The proposed action is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) and/or 15378(b)(5) and as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the action may have a significant effect on the environment per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5805) Meeting of September 15, 2026 Updated: 9/9/2026 9:50 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 3 Recommendation: Authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to issue a purchase order for the annual operating payment to EBRCSA in an amount not to exceed $408,036 for the one-year period effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and execute implementing documents as necessary.