HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-2016 - 6-b - Sole Source Bid Award - Software Purchase for Emergency Medical Services 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 16, 2016
Action Agenda
Item No. 6-b
SUBJECT: Sole Source Bid Award: Software Purchase for Emergency Medical Services
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1) MARVLIS Sole Source Letter Kim Woodward, 919-245-6133
Beth Ann Arbogast, 919-245-2282
PURPOSE: To consider awarding a sole source bid to Bradshaw Consulting Services in the
amount of $179,540 for the purchase and installation of the "Mobile Area Routing and Vehicle
Location Information System (MARVLIS)" to be located at Orange County Emergency Services
building at 510 Meadowlands Drive in Hillsborough.
BACKGROUND: On June 16, 2015, the Board of Orange County Commissioners appropriated
funds to purchase and install innovative and fundamental software to allow the saving of time and
money in resource deployment of emergency medical personnel Orange County. This software
does have the potential to be utilized by all emergency responders in Orange County with the
purchase of additional licenses.
North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 143-129(e)(g) allows for purchases of apparatus,
supplies, materials, or equipment to be purchased using sole-source exception when: (1)
performance or price competition for a product are not available; (2) a needed product is available
from only one source of supply; or (3) standardization or compatibility is the overriding
consideration.
Staff has selected MARVLIS as the provider of this software (see Attachment 1, "BCS Sole
Source Letter") as a sole source provider for this system through an exception to the North
Carolina Statutory requirement for competitive bidding.
Emergency Services and Information Technologies staff completed a thorough investigation of
the marketplace and determined that MARVLIS software meets this sole source exception
because it is the only system that:
1) Analyzes historic demand, post locations (identifies strategic locations for ambulances),
and geographic coverage requirements to build an accurate and effective emergency
medical services plan. This allows for better decision about where to locate ambulances to
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cover rural areas as well as high volume areas. The software does by utilizing existing
historical response data and creates "hot spots" to describe the likelihood of calls from any
location given the current time, day of week, and season of year and is presented on a
map seen by field personnel, telecommunicators, and field supervisors.
2) Combines Demand Monitor data, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), and Computer Aided
Dispatch (CAD) information, traffic patterns, and vehicle status to efficiently manage
resources and ensure that anticipated demand is adequately covered. Realistic, time-
sensitive, response zones are dynamically calculated for each ambulance based on
current AVL position, time-aware impedances, and present vehicle status (committed to an
incident or at a hospital).
3) Creates a visual overlay of forecast demand with current resource response capabilities
that allows for any unmet demand and anticipation of calls to be monitored and
discovered. These maps integrate field personnel and communicators to drive an efficient
system.
4) Collects accurate data about hazards, populations, incident volume, and structures leading
to improved planning process. Emergency medical services can utilize this data to plan
and improve service delivery by increasing deployment efficiencies, reducing risk, and
improving outcomes by operationalizing plans for more effective decision making.
5) Increases situational awareness of responding personnel due to real-time interfacing maps
and routing. By taking in traffic patterns, high volume areas, and real-time hazards (closed
streets) the software recommends the quickest and safest routes to incidents. Modeled
speeds are calculated for each road segment based on historic travel data from AVL to
determine realistic travel times for the ambulance on the current hour of the day, day of the
week, and time of the year.
6) Functions as a communications hub by interfacing directly with our current CAD system to
better manage resources and enhance overall value of current assets.
This system is designed to integrate and enhance current hardware, software, and data for
capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced
information. MARVLIS allows personnel to view, understand, interpret, and visualize data that
leads to better resource allocation and deployment of emergency medical services translating to
better delivery of services for Orange County.
This software will be placed on all EMS division vehicles in addition to any other devices
necessary for top performance of software and community response.
Attachment 1, "BCS Sole Source Letter", provides context to its exclusive features. Should the
BOCC approve the bid award, staff will install and provide training on the software in the spring of
2016.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The purchase price of the software along with recommended options,
shipping and installation are $179,540. Sufficient funds ($180,000) were appropriated in the
adopted FY 2015-16 CIP to purchase the equipment from the Information Technology budget.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: MARVLIS software will provide increased deployment efficiency of
emergency medical services leading to better resource allocation and efficient ambulance
coverage for Orange County. The installation of the software meets the following three Orange
County Social Justice Goals:
• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY
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The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color;
religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic
background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic status.
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary
for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their
• GOAL: CREATING A SAFE COMMUNITY
Supporting policies, procedures, regulations, and programs that reduce harassment,
exclusion, intimidation, and violence against Orange County residents.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1) award the sole source bid to Bradshaw Consulting Services in the amount of $179,540 for
the purchase and installation of the "MARVLIS" software that will be located at Orange
County Emergency Services at 510 Meadowlands Drive in Hillsborough; and
2) authorize the Manager to sign the vendor contract upon final review and approval of the
County Attorney.
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January 13, 2016
James Lunsford
Orange County,NC
jlunsford@a,orangecountync.gov
919-245-6126
Subject: MARVLIS (Mobile Area Routing and Vehicle Location System)
Dear Mr. Lunsford:
This letter provides information in support of a Sole Source justification for the MARVLIS
system:
Bradshaw Consulting Services, Inc. (BCS), is the sole producer/manufacturer of the
MARVLIS components. Furthermore, this system requires programmatic modifications in
procedures and data handling in order to effectively interact with your OSSI system. These
modifications as required are available only from BCS, which is located in Aiken, SC. As
additional evidence of ownership, BCS also owns the Registered Trade Mark on this
product. Furthermore, there are no Resellers of the MARVLIS system for OSSI-based
systems in the U.S.
Should you require any additional information,please contact me at(803) 641-0960.
Sincerely,
Tony (Bradshaw
Tony Bradshaw
President
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