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Council approves $320,285 fire-station alerting system and related budget change
Summary
City council authorized purchase of a new fire-station alerting system for all Rosenberg stations at $320,284.90 and approved a follow-up budget amendment allocating funds from construction funds, general fund balance and Fire Station 3 special revenue; purchase via NPPGov cooperative contract.
Rosenberg City Council approved the purchase of a new fire station alerting system at a total equipment cost of $320,284.90 and authorized the city manager to execute documents to complete the purchase. Council also approved a related budget amendment to fund the purchase from construction funds, the general fund balance and the Fire Station 3 fund balance.
Fire Chief Maretka told council the system will replace the existing alerting equipment across all stations and provides location-specific audible and visual dispatch alerts integrated with the city dispatch center. Staff said replacing the entire system is more cost-effective than retrofitting older equipment and will reduce future maintenance costs; staff noted several neighboring agencies use the same product.
Chief Maretka described the system’s capabilities and said the total equipment and installation cost is $320,284.90 under cooperative purchasing terms with NPPGov (contract PS20350). “These systems integrate with the city's dispatch center to provide clear, immediate, and location specific alerts through visible cues, visual cues, audible tones, and automated voice alerting capabilities,” Chief Maretka told council.
Funding and budget action: staff said the cost will be allocated among projects and stations: Fire Stations 1 and 4 (currently under construction) will be funded through construction funds; Station 2 would use the general fund balance; Station 3 will use a special revenue fund (Fund 230) funded by MUD fire service fees. A separate budget amendment (Resolution R-3945) of $208,145 was presented and approved to record the funding allocation.
Council discussion addressed procurement method, vendor experience and maintenance obligations. Fire and finance staff told council there are no annual subscription fees and that the system vendor and cooperative contract have been used by Fort Bend County and neighboring departments. Councilmember Jessica asked whether the purchase was currently budgeted; finance staff said it was not in the current budgets but the approved amendment provides the necessary funding.
Formal action: council voted to authorize the purchase under cooperative purchasing and to approve the budget amendment; motions passed by majority vote.
Why it matters: staff said an upgraded alerting system improves reliability of emergency dispatch notification inside stations and will better support the department as the city grows and opens new stations.
Sources: Fire Department presentation, budget amendment presentation and council discussion at the Rosenberg City Council meeting.
