The Fire Department is in the process of upgrading its fire station alerting system.  The project is being done in stages, and the Fire Department would now like to upgrade the system at Fire Station 1. 

The upgrades to the station alerting system will provide dispatch information faster to crews in the stations, automatic lighting and call details to each bunk area, and visual alerting in high noise areas of the stations.  The Fire Department’s response times can be improved by instantaneously alerting the right crews, in the right places, so they can respond more efficiently and with better information.

Northwest Central Dispatch System (NWCD) uses US Digital Designs’ Phoenix G2 alerting network to dispatch information to our stations.  NWCD has installed the control stations for the system in all four of our stations, which represents the largest cost of the process.  The peripheral equipment we now want to purchase can only be purchased through US Digital.   

Installation can be performed by US Digital or certified installation companies, however, we prefer to use US Digital because they are the experts in servicing and supporting their systems.  In addition, if a problem arises, we won’t have to determine if it is an installation or product issue.  US Digital will be responsible for all of it. 

The total cost for the upgrade of the system at Station 1 is $59,534.26.  The Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Board has agreed to fund $15,000 from account 227-3701-512-5015 of the cost for this phase of the project.  There is $40,000 budgeted in account 401-3501-572-5015 EQ9502 for the Village’s portion of this phase of the project. There are funds available in Account 401-3501-572.50-15 EQ9502 to cover the remaining $4,534.26.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Village Board waive formal bidding procedures and approve the purchase and installation of upgrades to the Station 1 alerting system from US Digital Designs of Tempe, AZ. The vendor has been determined to be responsible.