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1 <br /> ORD-2013-011 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: March 19, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-g <br /> SUBJECT: Public Safety Console Replacement and Approval of Budget Amendment#8-B <br /> DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1) Radio Console Price & Spec Sheet Craig Blackwood, 245-6130 <br /> 2) February 12, 2013 Letter from NC Paul Laughton, 919-245-2152 <br /> 9-1-1 Board <br /> 3) Communications System Agreement <br /> PURPOSE: To approve an agreement for the purchase of seven (7) Motorola Radio consoles <br /> in the 9-1-1 Center to replace seven (7) existing consoles that will soon be obsolete, and . <br /> purchase four (4) additional consoles to prepare for growth, with the new consoles all being <br /> APCO P25 digital compliant. <br /> BACKGROUND: Orange County's existing 9-1-1 Motorola Radio Consoles are analog devices <br /> consisting of computer/radio workstations, software and hardware. These units are not P25 <br /> compliant, meaning that they are not digital devices. <br /> The APCO P25 standard is an open standard for digital radio developed in North America under <br /> state, local and federal representatives and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) <br /> governance. The standard was developed to foster the development and progress of the art of <br /> public safety communications. The State of North Carolina will soon be changing from an <br /> analog VIPER (Voice Interoperability Plan for First Responders) system to a digital P25 VIPER <br /> system, tentatively scheduled for the end of 2013. <br /> Unfortunately, the existing consoles cannot be upgraded. They must be replaced in order to <br /> communicate using the new digital P25 VIPER radio system for the purpose of dispatching and <br /> receiving radio transmissions to/from emergency responders. <br /> This replacement supports the recommendations from the Emergency Services Workgroup, the <br /> Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services & 911/Communications Center <br /> Operational Study recommendations, and is also in alignment with the Orange County Chief's <br /> Association 2012 Strategic Plan for the Provision of Emergency Services. Goal II in that plan <br /> states "to work with Orange County to ensure the deployment of a state-of-the-art 9-1-1 <br /> Telecommunications Center that is able to dispatch emergency calls within 90 seconds or less <br /> 90% of the time by January 2014." <br /> North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 143-129(e)(6) allows for purchases of apparatus, <br /> supplies, materials, or equipment to be purchased using sole-source exception when: (i) <br />