Supervisors approve RFP and phased contract award for RCS upgrade

The County of San Diego will be awarding a contract to upgrade the Regional Communication System (RCS).

A 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote June 9 authorized the director of the county's Department of Purchasing and Contracting to issue a request for proposals to replace the existing RCS, to award a contract upon successful negotiations and determination of a fair and reasonable price, and to amend the contract as required to reflect changes to services and funding allocation subject to the approval of the Sheriff.

"This action today on the Regional Communications System upgrade is a major step," said Supervisor Dianne Jacob. "We've been looking forward to this for a very long time."

The RCS, which allows emergency and public safety agencies to communicate with one another, was established in 1995. The RCS provides public safety and public service radio communications to San Diego and Imperial Counties and includes those two county governments, 24 incorporated cities, fire protection districts, state and federal agencies, tribal governments, and medical operations.

The County of San Diego procured and constructed the RCS and has operated the system while the participating agencies shared the cost of the original system infrastructure. The RCS consists of 50 radio sites in the two counties which support 24 public safety dispatch centers and serve more than 20,000 user radios.

The county and the participating agencies realized that the RCS would eventually approach the end of its useful life and require replacement. In 2010, the Sheriff's Department contracted with technical consultants to assist with planning the next-generation system. A working group consisting of RCS partner agency executives made recommendations regarding system design and cost apportionment, and county staff members worked with more than 100 public safety agencies and medical operations to develop the requirements for a new system.

"Effective emergency communications throughout the county are crucial, and this is the next step in updating that important system," said Supervisor Bill Horn.

The estimated cost to design, procure, and install the next-generation system is $105,000,000, although the specific final costs are not yet known. In December 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement for participating agencies which established a cost apportionment model and served as the operating and business agreement between the parties; agencies who signed the agreement may opt out if the agency's actual cost is significantly more than the estimate. Fifty agencies signed that agreement.

The RCS upgrade will be implemented in three phases. Phase I is the system design and planning phase which will include detailed technical designs, project planning, and identification of new radio facilities. None of the successful bidder's recommendations will be binding on the county unless the county exercises its option for Phase III.

Phase II will be the implementation of the new technology at existing RCS facilities consisting of the procurement of new radio system hardware and software, the replacement of the existing hardware with the new equipment, and the migration of dispatch center equipment and user radios to the new system.

The supervisors' June 9 action found the technology upgrade categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review, but additional CEQA compliance will be required prior to Phase III which is the new site development, construction of facilities, and integration into the system.

If new radio facilities are identified as part of the Phase I design and planning, county staff will return to the Board of Supervisors following the environmental review and the supervisors would exercise the option for Phase III.

"This is another step we're taking to continue the improved ways we take to keep our constituents safe," said Supervisor Dave Roberts.

Approximately $50 million of the cost to replace the RCS is in the county's 2015-16 budget. The system completion is expected to occur in fiscal year 2018-19.

"I'm really pleased to see the action before the board today," Jacob said. "This is the first step."