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Council notes $4.45 million remote-controlled bomb robot purchase funded mostly by port security grant
Summary
City staff said the purchase of an untethered bomb-disposal robot will be paid primarily with a port security grant; the new unit replaces obsolete equipment and will be housed at the Port but deployable citywide.
Mobile City Council members were briefed at the Feb. 11 pre-meeting on a purchase order for a remote-controlled ground robot for bomb-disposal work, with the city saying most of the cost comes from a previously approved port security grant.
City staff described the new robot as an untethered unit that will replace the department's current tethered robot, which is no longer in production. "Our current robot is a tethered unit. This is an untethered unit. This allows us to create a greater space between us and the device," a city staff member said, explaining that parts for the existing machine are becoming obsolete.
The approved purchase order listed the vendor Remote Tech and a total price of $4,446,815. Staff said the unit will be primarily housed at the Port for readiness under the port security grant but can be deployed elsewhere in the city if needed.
Council members asked whether the robot would be staged at the port; staff confirmed it will be in a port building but available for citywide response. Staff also said the grant requires a local match of about 20–25 percent. The robot is intended for bomb detection and disruption, according to the staff briefing.
The council listed the purchase in a batch of approved purchase orders during the pre-meeting; staff said acceptance of the previously authorized port security grant enabled the acquisition.
