Clermont County to pursue $4.8M public-safety radio upgrade; Board approves Federal Engineering amendment

Clermont County public-safety officials and consulting engineers outlined a proposed upgrade to the county Communications Center that they estimate will cost "approximately $4.8 million" and take about 20 months to complete, Director Jessica Wiederhold told the Board on May 21.

Wiederhold said the project includes radio-system, fiber and microwave design and integration with the State of Ohio Emergency Services IP Network (ESINet) and Next Generation 911 (NG911). A representative of Federal Engineering told the Board the selected system is safety-grade, not commercial-grade, and that the microwave portion "is also suitable for ten to fifteen years instead of six years," adding that safety-grade equipment could last "up to twenty years with maintenance." Commissioner Claire B. Corcoran asked about generator costs; Wiederhold said each generator is "about $120,000.00 each." County Administrator Thomas J. Eigel asked how a ten- to fifteen-year lifecycle guarantee would be enforced; Federal Engineering said lifecycle expectations will be included in the forthcoming Request for Proposals.

Separately, the Board approved Amendment Number Two to the existing services agreement with Federal Engineering to develop technical specifications for the county's public-safety microwave radio system at a not-to-exceed amount of $238,624. The motion to execute the amendment was moved by Commissioner Corcoran, seconded by Commissioner Painter, and approved with Commissioners Corcoran and Painter voting yes and Commissioner Batchler recorded as absent at the time of the vote. During discussion County staff said they will include the Information Systems Department in the procurement work to ensure technical alignment.