Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Radio Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County approves immediate radio equipment order, tables broader radio purchase pending vendor tests
Summary
The county approved purchase order 1047 to restore transmitters at Forest Road and Warm Springs but deferred final decisions on a larger radio equipment package until deputies can test additional vendors' radios.
The Board of Commissioners approved a purchase order for radio equipment to restore communications capability at Forest Road and Warm Springs while directing staff to seek additional vendor tests before buying all new portable radios. The board voted to approve quote 1047 and issue a PO to Dean's Commercial Two Way for equipment needed to return critical infrastructure to service; action on quote 1048 and a broader purchase of P25-compliant portables was deferred to allow comparative testing.
Commissioners approved the immediate purchase after Dean Ginn, owner of Dean's Commercial Two Way, described proposed upgrades that include replacing transmitters and rebuilding system sites damaged in storms. "We're linked them back to your conventional radio system," Ginn said, describing a mix of LTE push-to-talk and conventional P25 capability to provide immediate and interoperable communications.
Staff presented two Dean's quotes: quote 1047 for $63,206.69 to restore equipment at Forest Road and Warm Springs and quote 1048 for $193,722.60 to relocate equipment and restore service at the PSC tower; staff said quote 1048 could be reduced by $41,000 if the county uses fiber links proposed by a separate Internet vendor. The county's broader estimate for a countywide radio upgrade was previously listed at $702,590.64; staff said that number could fall to $560,590.64 depending on networking choices.
Ginn told commissioners the radios proposed support four technologies, including LTE push-to-talk (demoed on both Southern Link’s LTE and AT&T FirstNet during tests), 800 MHz P25 Phase 1 and 2 interoperability, and VHF. "The devices support 4 different technologies. You get the LTE, which gets you push to talk and we tie it back to 9-1-1, so it's business as usual," Ginn said. He recommended FirstNet as the preferred LTE platform based on the county tests and vendor experience.
The board approved quote 1047 so vendor ordering and procurement could proceed; the county manager was authorized to issue a PO for quote 1047. Commissioners also directed staff to obtain comparable radios from other vendors and allow the sheriff's deputies to test those units on county networks before deciding on the contract for portable radios. The motion to table purchasing the 34 sheriff portables and 20 fire/EMS portables (P25-compliant) passed, with staff instructed to return to the board with additional vendor test results at the next meeting.
The decision splits restoration work into two tracks: immediate restoration of damaged infrastructure (Forest Road/Warm Springs) and a second, competitive testing phase for portable radios and final vendor selection.
Remaining questions captured during the meeting included timing for equipment lead times (vendors estimated 8–12 weeks for infrastructure components) and whether the county would rely on microwave links or vendor fiber connections; using the county’s chosen fiber provider could eliminate the $41,000 microwave expense in quote 1048, staff said.
What happens next: PO for quote 1047 was authorized and procurement may proceed; staff will schedule comparative radios testing with the sheriff's office and return with recommendations at a future meeting.
