CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: June 4, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Bill Gallardo, Interim City Manager;
Darren Goodman, Chief of Police
Department: Police
Subject: Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Alarm Program System LLC for Alarm Permit and False Alarm
Management Services (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Alarm Program Systems LLC to provide alarm registration and false alarm management services for a term beginning July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, with an option to extend for two additional years.
Executive Summary
The San Bernardino Police Department currently administers the City’s alarm permitting and false alarm management program through an external vendor under a revenue sharing agreement. With the current contract expiring June 30, 2025, and a need identified to improve system integration and operational efficiency, the City issued a competitive Request for Proposal for continued services.
After a thorough evaluation of four responsive proposals, staff recommend entering into a Professional Services Agreement with Alarm Program Systems LLC (APS).
Under the proposed agreement, APS will retain 18% of collected fees, mirroring the City’s current no-cost revenue sharing model. Approval of this agreement will allow the City to enhance its alarm program operations without additional General Fund expenditures.
Background
The use and regulation of security alarm systems in the City of San Bernardino are governed by Municipal Code Chapter 8.81, which establishes requirements for alarm permitting, operation, and enforcement. To support enforcement of this ordinance, the City of San Bernardino has, since 2010, contracted with external vendors to manage the permitting of audible alarm systems for homes and businesses, as well as the billing and collection of alarm permit fees and false alarm fines. These services are overseen by the San Bernardino Police Department. Outsourcing these functions has allowed the City to reduce personnel costs and streamline operations through automation.
There are currently nearly 9,000 active security alarm permits issued in the City of San Bernardino. The City contracts with a vendor under a revenue-sharing agreement, wherein the vendor covers all operating expenses and retains 25% of all collected fees. This arrangement results in no direct expense to the City. The current contract is set to expire on June 30, 2025.
While the current vendor provides administrative support, services do not include integration with the Police Department’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. As a result, City staff must manually extract, filter, and transmit CAD data related to false alarms to the vendor monthly. To improve efficiency, reduce manual workload, and enhance real-time access to false alarm data, staff identified the need to procure a vendor capable of providing full CAD integration along with comprehensive alarm management services.
Discussion
On January 21, 2025, the City issued Request for Proposals (RFP F-25-1027) through its procurement portal, PlanetBids. Four vendors were also invited to bid, and all four responded by the February 27, 2025, deadline. Proposals were evaluated on experience, staffing resources, technical capabilities, understanding of the City’s needs, and fee structure.
The table below summarizes the evaluation results:
Vendor Name and Location Evaluation Score
(Max. 300 Pts.) Fee Proposal
Alarm Program Systems LLC
Pleasant Hill, CA 288 18%
Central Square Technologies LLC
Lake Mary, FL 265 24%
PMAM Corporation
Dallas, TX 257
Tiered:
- 14% up to $350,000
- 20% above $350,001
Plus additional mailing
and banking fees
Phoenix Group Information
Systems
Santa Ana, CA
248 25%
Based on the evaluation criteria, staff recommend Alarm Program Systems (APS) LLC as the most qualified and cost-effective vendor to provide alarm permitting and false alarm management services for the City.
The proposed Professional Services Agreement with APS follows the same revenue- sharing model currently in place, with the new vendor retaining 18% of all collected fees. As with the existing agreement, there will be no direct cost to the city. The complete terms of the agreement, along with the full scope of services to be provided, are included as an attachment to this staff report.
To facilitate a smooth transition from the current vendor to APS, necessary data will be transferred, including residential and commercial permit records, billing history, false alarm incidents, emergency contact information, and outstanding balances. To protect the confidentiality of this information, a Non-Disclosure Agreement, as outlined in Exhibit D of the Professional Services Agreement, will be executed prior to any data sharing between vendors.
About Alarm Program Systems
Alarm Program Systems LLC was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Pleasant Hill, California. APS specializes exclusively in alarm program management for municipal clients, ensuring best practices are integrated into their technology and operations. Their secure, cloud-based platform offers full integration with CAD systems, which will allow the San Bernardino Police Department to streamline tracking of alarm responses and improve enforcement accuracy.
APS currently provides services to 61 municipalities, including several major cities in Southern California such as Glendale, Corona, Escondido, Torrance, and Fullerton.
APS is recognized for its strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies and its focus on enhancing public safety through efficient, technology-driven alarm program management.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
Approval of this item aligns with Strategic Goal #3c: Improved Quality of Life – Constantly evaluate and enhance the quality of public safety services.
Fiscal Impact
There is no impact on the City’s General Fund resulting from this agreement.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Alarm Program Systems LLC to provide alarm registration and false alarm management services for a term beginning July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, with an option to extend for two additional years.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – PSA Alarm Program Systems LLC
Attachment 2 – Alarm Permits and False Alarm Fee Schedule Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
On May 20, 2020, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2020-106, establishing a Master Fee Schedule.
On June 19, 2019, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-6152, authorizing the execution of an agreement with Phoenix Group Information Systems.
On November 7, 2016, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No.2016-229, authorizing the execution of the second amendment to the agreement with PMAM Corporation.
On November 21, 2013, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2013- 2718, authorizing the execution of the first amendment to the agreement with PMAM Corporation.
On November 2, 2010, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2010- 364, authorizing the execution of an agreement with PMAM Corporation.