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Committee approves release of public safety radio RFP after debate over consultant role
Summary
Wayne County's Public Safety Committee voted 4-0 to release a request for proposals to upgrade the county radio system but tabled a related contract with NYSTEC to the Finance Committee after members raised concerns about cost, timeline and a perceived consultant “sales pitch.”
The Wayne County Public Safety Committee voted 4-0 on Jan. 6 to approve the transmittal titled “Authorization to Release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a System Upgrade to the Public Safety Radio System.” The vote advances a decades‑long effort to modernize the county’s radio infrastructure and allows staff to solicit competitive bids.
County Administrator Mark Humbert told the Committee that NYSTEC, which recently completed the county’s radio study, has the technical expertise to develop an RFP and that using an outside firm would be the most efficient way to move the project forward. Committee members asked for a cost estimate and timeline before committing to a separate contract for RFP development.
Sheriff Rob Milby urged caution about hiring NYSTEC to write the RFP, saying the firm’s recommendation report “appeared to function as a ‘sales pitch’” because NYSTEC is now seeking additional work beyond the study it was hired to perform. Milby also questioned why EMS and administration drafted radio-related resolutions when 911 oversight resides in the Sheriff’s Office and asked for a clearer project timeline and decision‑maker participation.
Meeting notes recorded that Humbert will contact NYSTEC immediately after the meeting to obtain cost estimates and a proposed timeline. A working group including Fire Coordinator Jeremiah Shufelt, ALS Manager Jim Lee, Sheriff Rob Milby, Supervisor Les Carr and Humbert will meet to set priorities and finalize the scope. The transmittal to execute a contract with NYSTEC for RFP development was tabled until the Finance Committee meeting on Jan. 13, 2026, pending those cost and schedule details.
The radio system project has been discussed informally in county records for decades; the Committee’s immediate next steps are to receive NYSTEC’s price and timeline and to prepare a more detailed scope for Finance review.
