September 15, 2026
Library and Community Services
DATE: September 15, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Sam Vaughn, Deputy Director of Community Services –
Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) and Community
Crisis Response Program (CCRP)
Michael Romero, CCRP Program Manager
Joan Binalinbing, Associate Administrative Analyst
Subject:
Contract with Mark43, Inc. for Community Crisis
Response Program Computer-Aided Dispatch Access
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed three-year not-to-exceed expenditure of $95,668 is included within the approved Fiscal Year
2026-2027 Community Crisis Response Program budget.
Sufficient appropriations are available, and costs
associated with this contract will be funded through the CCRP operating budget (Account String:
01401113-400209).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City Council approval is needed to enter into a contract with Mark43, Inc. to provide the Community Crisis
Response Program with software access and
implementation support to the City’s existing Computer- Aided Dispatch system. This access will allow Reach Out with Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) mobile crisis
responders to receive and review crisis calls identified by Richmond’s Communications Dispatch Center as
appropriate for a ROCK response.
AGENDA
REPORT
September 15, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a sole-source contract with Mark 43 for
computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software for direct
communication to Richmond’s Communications Dispatch
Center for a term of September 15, 2026, to September
14, 2029, in an amount not to exceed $95,668 –
Community Services Department (Sam Vaughn 510-620-
5404/Michael Romero 510-620-6791/Joan Binalinbing
510-620-6531).
DISCUSSION:
The Community Crisis Response Program’s (CCRP) Reach Out with Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) mobile crisis response team provides non-law-enforcement support for eligible behavioral health, social service, and other community crisis calls. Under the program’s response protocol, ROCK responders are deployed based on referrals from Richmond’s Communications Dispatch Center or Police Department personnel when a call is determined to be appropriate for a ROCK response. Providing ROCK with access to the Mark43 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system currently used by the Communications Dispatch Center will support a more seamless referral and deployment process by allowing responders to receive timely and accurate call information directly through the same system used by Dispatch. Mark43 is a cloud-based system that can be accessed across multiple devices and platforms, supporting secure and efficient field operations without reliance on locally maintained hardware.
A sole source agreement with Mark43 is justified pursuant to the Richmond Municipal Code because Mark43 is the existing Computer-Aided Dispatch and Records Management System provider used by the Richmond Police Department and Communications Dispatch Center (Attachment 1). The City has utilized Mark43 since 2017, and the proposed agreement will expand the existing system by adding the Community Crisis Response Program’s Reach Out with Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) team as an additional tenant within the Computer-Aided Dispatch platform. The recurring subscription includes access for Dispatch call takers and ROCK responders, while the one-time professional services fee covers implementation of the additional tenant within the existing system.
Using the same platform as the Police Department and Communications Dispatch Center will allow ROCK responders to receive accurate, real-time call information, support direct communication with Dispatch, and maintain consistent data capture across the City’s response systems. Use of a separate vendor or software platform could create communication gaps, require additional system interfaces, increase the risk of inconsistent or incomplete data, and result in additional implementation and maintenance costs. These concerns are particularly significant when ROCK responders need immediate assistance or additional support from Dispatch or Police Department personnel during field responses.
September 15, 2026
CCRP staff is requesting approval for the three-year contract with Mark 43 to provide software configuration and maintenance for a contract amount that is not to exceed $95,668 (Attachment 2). The proposed contract includes a recurring subscription yearly over three years with the first year including a one-time professional service fee.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Sole Source
Attachment 2 – Original Contract