HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-2024-005-Procurement of Automated Fire-EMS Alerting System and Approval of Budget Amendment #6-B ORD-2024-005
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 7, 2024
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-f
SUBJECT: Procurement of Automated Fire-EMS Alerting System and Approval of Budget
Amendment #6-B
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1. US Digital Designs Contract Kirby Saunders, Emergency Services
2. Year-to-Date Budget Summary Director, 919-245-6123
Christopher Ward, Division Chief—
Public Safety Communications, 919-
245-6139
PURPOSE: To approve the purchase of an automated Fire/EMS alerting system for the County's
primary and backup Public Safety Communications Centers, and to approve Budget Amendment
#6-B to provide for the total cost of the system.
BACKGROUND: For many years, Orange County has relied on a manual process to alert fire
and emergency medical services (EMS) response personnel to emergency calls through multiple
radio resources. The current process is cumbersome, time consuming, and prone to human error.
Emergency Services desires to implement a system to automate this process. Doing so will
reduce Public Safety Telecommunicator workload, reduce the frequency of human dispatch
errors, and improve public safety response times through shortening the time necessary to
dispatch an emergency call.
Emergency Services staff have reviewed and selected the Phoenix G2 alerting system from US
Digital Designs using the competitively bid Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) contract
(Contract# EC07-23). Fully redundant systems would be installed at both the primary and backup
Public Safety Communications Centers. The systems are completely compatible with the alerting
technology used by the County's public safety partner agencies today while supporting other more
advanced alerting technology that may be adopted by those partner agencies later. This system
is already in use in several other North Carolina localities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The total cost of the project is $115,030.03. The NC 911 Board has
approved in writing the use of Emergency Telephone System Funds for the entire cost of the
project.
Budget Amendment #6-B appropriates available fund balance from the County's 911 Emergency
Telephone System Fund to cover the expenditures, and amends the 911 Emergency Telephone
System Fund Ordinance:
911 Emergency Telephone System Fund($115,031) - Fund 35
Revenues for this project:
Current FY 2023-24 FY 2023-24
FY 2023-24 Amendment Revised
Subscriber Fees $578,160 $0 $578,160
Appropriated Fund Balance $19,900 $115,031 $134,931
Total Project Funding $598,060 $115,031 $713,091
Appropriated for this project:
Current FY 2023-24 FY 2023-24
FY 2023-24 Amendment Revised
911 Emergency Telephone System Fund $598,060 $115,031 $713,091
Total Costs $598,060 $115,031 $713,091
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goal is applicable to
this item:
• GOAL: CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY
The reduction of risks from vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior injuries, gang
activity, substance abuse, and domestic violence.
The implementation of this alerting system will reduce fire and EMS response times by reducing
the time necessary to dispatch emergency calls for service.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1. Approve the purchase of the US Digital Designs Phoenix G2 Alerting System and authorize
the Manager to sign the contract and any amendments or extensions to the contract; and
2. Approve Budget Amendment #6-B.