GLYNN COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT 1725 Reynolds Street, Suite 301 Brunswick, Georgia 31520 Phone: (912) 554-7153 MEMORANDUM To: From: Board of Commissioners John Catron, Director Information Technology Subject: Award of Contract to RCC Consultants for the Radio System Consultant RFP #00883, Contract Number: C-14-3410-00883 Date: April 21, 2014 Background: On July 18, 2013 the Board of Commissioners approved the solicitation of bids for a Radio System Consultant contract. Proposals have been received and evaluated by a team that is comprised of 911 Dispatch, Police, Fire and Information Technology staff. The apparent low proposer which meets the deliverables is RCC Consultants. Glynn County wants to ensure that the radio system as installed meets the County s public safety and operational needs and is technically correct and done in the most economical manner possible. The system is to be P25 compliant and is to provide for growth and identified future technology changes. The consulting services for the radio system upgrade is to provide expertise in the current radio technology and to manage the project through acceptance by County staff of the installed system. The County staff does not possess the knowledge and expertise to select the best technology, ensure a fair price is established for the upgrade project or to assist the Purchasing Agent with writing detailed specifications for implementation of a radio system with a needed lifespan to last the next ten years. RCC, acting on the County s behalf, will determine and verify the requirements to provide radio service to Glynn County, write an RFP for the services and equipment, and provide project management to oversee and manage the installation, implementation and testing of the chosen system. Both the infrastructure and the subscriber units are included in this project. The consultant is to provide radio system consulting and communication systems engineering services to evaluate and analyze the County s legacy Motorola SmartNet 800 MHz simulcast radio system and the County s existing four 700 MHz RF channel, 4-site simulcast, trunked, P25 compliant radio communications system interconnected via a leased T-1 to SEGARRN s ASTRO 25 v7.7 Master Site located in the City of Savannah. Deliverables expected from RCC include Assessment of the current radio network and technology being used by the 911 center, fire and police; Evaluation of operability and interoperability requirements.
Evaluation of requirements for connection to SEGARRN s Master Site in Savannah. Evaluation of coverage, capacity, users, and reliability requirements. A project design plan phase to recommend equipment, systems, technological, operational and financial solutions and complete a budget estimate for the upgrade to P25 Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 to support operations over the next ten years. Analyze available alternatives and develop cost estimates. Recommend to the BOC the most appropriate solution for the County. Assist with Contract Negotiations and with Procurement and Implementation. Work closely with the Glynn County Purchasing Agent to determine most advantageous procurement method, develop the scope of work and deliverables and make necessary presentations. Assume the role of the project manager on behalf of the Glynn County Board of Commissioners during the complete implementation phase from delivery of product, through installation, acceptance testing, and training of individual staff. The cost proposed is $199,640. Alternatives: 1) Award the proposal for the Radio System Consultant contract to RCC Consultants, Inc. 2) Do not approve awarding the proposal to RCC Consultants and rebid the service. Recommendation: Staff recommends alternative number #1, award the proposal to RCC Consultants, Inc. Funding Source: City of Brunswick and General Fund fund balance with the current 34/66% split applied to the cost of $199,640. Evaluation Process: In the original scoring of vendor bids, it was discovered that the evaluation form used (i.e. slightly different evaluation categories and weights) by the evaluation team and the method of calculating the scores were incorrect. After discovering this error, the correct evaluation form with the correct categories and weights was distributed to the evaluation team, which independently rescored each bidder, and the results were tabulated using the correct scoring calculation method. After completing the evaluation using the correct process, RCC was the highest scoring responsive, responsible bidder. Recommended Motion for the Finance Committee: I move that we recommend that the Commission award RCC Consultants the proposal for the Radio System Consultant contract at a price not to exceed $199,640 with funding to be provided by the General Fund fund balance and the City of Brunswick, and that the Chairman is authorized to sign the contract upon the approval of the County Attorney. Recommended Motion for the Board of Commissioners: I move that we recommend that the Commission award RCC Consultants the proposal for the Radio System Consultant contract at a price not to exceed $199,640 with funding to be provided by the General Fund fund balance and the City of Brunswick, and that the Chairman is authorized to sign the contract upon the approval of the County Attorney.
Radio Consultant Recommendation Recommended: RCC Communications Cost: $199,640.00 Rationale for the Recommendation: The RFP response and presentation demonstrated a good understanding of the project. RCC s cost breakdown reflected the expectations of where the time will be spent, which is in project design and support/implementation. These two areas are where the expertise is needed and will require thorough monitoring. RCC demonstrated a strong understanding of the technology. They are knowledgeable in and have completed projects in the P25 compliant radio systems. They stated that they would develop a plan that addresses current and future needs and that the plan would layout maintenance and service costs for 5 years allowing us to plan accordingly. Glynn County s experience with RCC has been positive. RCC had managed the towers for GC and when that relationship was terminated, they continued to provide support and expertise to Glynn County staff. Their knowledge of the county s communications system is an advantage. Deliverables: Assessment The assessment will look at Glynn County s current equipment and features and will evaluate growth plans. Subscriber inventory, coverage requirements, interoperability, and functionality needs will be covered. Site condition, space, environmental, network connectivity, available bandwidth, grounding, tower loading will be considered. The dispatch center will be reviewed for radio requirements. Design Plan - Collate, correlate and analyze the data gathered. RCC plans to use their Radio Propagation and Interference Modeling Tool to determine coverage requirements and perform a site analysis. They will develop a system design to solve operability and Interoperability challenges. The relationship with SEGARN will be a factor. Upon completion of the plan RCC will develop options and cost estimates and will facilitate county consensus on the final solution. Procurement Procuring the equipment is where the expert knowledge of the equipment and system will be felt. RCC s knowledge will provide two things purchase only the equipment that is needed at a competitive price, and ensure that it is properly installed. Implementation RCC will be the County s Project Manager and will supervise the selected vendor of the radio equipment. This will include scheduling implementation, inspections and testing through final acceptance. Training of the end-users will be scheduled. February 19, 2014 Page 1
RCC vs Others: The expected benefit of engaging RCC as our consultant for the radio upgrade is that the project will be managed by a staff that is knowledgeable in the complex technology of radio communications. The project will be well organized and implementation should follow steps that will avoid outages or service disruptions. A thorough analysis of the County s needs and the installation of equipment and capacity will improve reception and service and meet the county s future growth. Cost will be contained because the equipment and circuits will be right sized to the needs. Other consulting firms while having the knowledge of the technology, did not demonstrate the same understanding of the project, were not as complete in their proposals, and did not address the cost over the lifecycle of the project nor the implementation issues in as thorough a manner as did RCC. February 19, 2014 Page 2
Radio Systems Consultant RFP COMPANY/PERSONNEL PROJECT UNDER KNOWLEDGE OF RADIO TECHNOLOGY Technical Cost/ Total COMPANY EXPERIENCE STANDING & APPROACH & CURRENT AND FUTURE STANDARD Total Financial Score CTO 22 11.25 7.5 40.75 15.48 56.23 Elert Associates 24.67 14.17 8 46.83 17.25 64.09 LR Kimball 28.00 16.25 9.75 54.00 0.00 54.00 RCC 38.67 23.33 14.25 76.25 11.88 88.13 Tusa 28.00 17.50 10.50 56.00 14.84 70.84 Federal Engineering 32.67 20.00 12.25 64.92 20.00 84.92 Engineering Associates 28.67 14.17 10.25 53.08 19.59 72.67
CUSTOM CLIENT COVER
Kevin Lombardo Introductions Vice President and General Manager, with 26 years of public safety consulting experience Engineer, P25 Procurement, Firefighter, EMT, COML Tim Barrentine, PMP Director, SE Region with 22 years of public safety consulting experience Engineer, P25 Phase 1&2 Plan/Procure/Deploy, Multiple Vendor Tech., Microwave TDM/IP, Multiple SmartNet Upgrades, Local and Geo-diverse Kenny Chen, P.E., PMP Project Manager, with 13 years of public safety communications and consulting experience Registered Professional Engineer, P25 Phase 1&2 Plan/Procure/Deploy, Microwave MPLS, Multiple SmartNet Upgrades, Local and Geo-diverse
Agenda Project Understanding Project Approach Information Gathering and Assessment Process Project Deliverables Project Management Our Experience and Lessons Learned
Project Understanding Assess the current radio network and technology Evaluate operability and interoperability requirements Evaluate requirements for connection to SEGARRN s Master Site in Savannah Evaluate coverage, capacity, user, reliability requirements Analyze available alternatives and develop cost estimates Recommend the most appropriate solution for the County Assist with Procurement and Implementation
Project Approach and Tasks Task 1 Needs Analysis and Recommendations Report Evaluate County s radio systems Evaluate coverage and capacity requirements Evaluate interoperability requirements Evaluate requirements for connection to SEGARRN Evaluate reliability and redundancy Incorporate disaster recovery Ensure FCC compliance Identify interface requirements to other systems Detailed Assessment Report Deliverable
Information Gathering We Know You Have a Day Job RCC Will Do the Following: Review system documentation, current plans and proposals Develop specific set of information gathering tools Coordinate kickoff meeting, interview and site inspection schedule Conduct kickoff meeting for project stakeholders
Information Gathering We Know You Have a Day Job Conduct interviews with stakeholders Understand lessons learned from previous incidents, exercises, and AARs Discuss interoperability requirements Discuss features and functionality Discuss coverage requirement Gather agency subscriber inventory Perform site inspections Site condition, space, environmental, network connectivity, available bandwidth, grounding, tower loading Dispatch layout, current and future, logging recorder and ports, backup radio requirements, conventional interfaces, fire alerting
RCC s System Assessment and Design Process Legend Collate, correlate and analyze data RCC s Standards-Based, Award Winning Radio Propagation and Interference Modeling Tool Address User Needs and Requirements Analyze and Scope Capacity Site Analysis Maintenance and Operational Analysis Solve Operability and Interop Challenges Develop Options and Cost Estimates Facilitate Consensus on Final Solution
Project Approach and Tasks Task 2 Project Design Plan Report Review proposals submitted from the County s existing vendor Analyze available alternatives Evaluate the available alternatives Make recommendations Detailed Project Design Plan Report
Project Approach and Tasks Task 3 Procurement Process Work with County s to determine appropriate method of procurement Develop RFP or SOW procurement document Assume role of the Evaluation Committee Chair for proposal evaluations Assist with contract negotiations Assist with presentations to the Board of County Commissioners
Project Approach and Tasks Task 4 Support and Implementation Assume the role as County s PM Prepare Implementation Schedule Ensure the County receives technical support and supervise the selected vendor Inspections and testing Provide monthly progress reports with progress of the implementation Ensure all end-users are fully trained
Project Deliverables Milestones Detailed Assessment Report Detailed Project Design Plan Report Technical Procurement Document Proposal Evaluation Report Assist with Contract Negotiations BOC Presentation Implementation Support / ATPs
Project Management Philosophy Based on Standard & Repeatable Methodology Foundation in Recognized Standards Team Trained in Project Management Principles Project Lifecycle Initiation Planning Executing Monitoring and Control Close Out All RCC employees undergo rigorous PMP training
Potential Challenges Live cutover of public safety systems- planning and fall-back plans Connectivity to SEGARRN, carrier vs. other Version compatibility if using same vendor Governance, autonomy and coordination if direct connect vs. ISSI Maintain backward compatibility with different technologies Integration of ancillary systems such as fire station alerting, warning sirens, logging recorders, and other operations Outreach with stakeholders and elected officials Funding Board approval
Preliminary Options Purchase standalone replacement P25-compliant radio system Join SEGARRN s regional radio system Microwave vs. other to SEGARRN s Master Site ~60 miles Hybrids? Other solutions?
30 RCC has been a trusted advisor to the public and private sector for more than 30 years 90% More than 90% of RCC s 130 professionals have 5 or more years with the firm A tenured industry leader... Drawing on national presence, experience and exposure An exceptional full-time delivery team: Bachelors, Masters, PhD Licensed Professional Engineers (P.E.) Project Management Professionals (PMP) NIMS, ICS, COML, HSEEP, ENP, Cisco Certified
Industry Leadership Dominick Arcuri Chair, TIA TR-8 P25 TDMA Standard Charles Bryson NPSTC Broadband Working Group Kevin Lombardo NFPA Technical Committee on Electronic Safety Equipment Rachel Bello North Carolina State 911 Board, Next Generation 911 Committee, National Emergency Number Association, Core Services Committee Co-Chair Tony Busam Co-Chair NENA Development Steering Council
RCC Services Radio Communications Systems Microwave and Fiber Transmission Systems Interoperability Solutions Broadband Data Networks Communications Site Planning Facilities Management and Marketing Dispatch Center Planning NG9-1-1 Systems Telephony Services Information Technology And Data Systems Intelligent Transportation Systems
P25 and NG9-1-1 Experience
RCC Meets all Ten of Glynn County s Requirements 1) A minimum of five (5) years of verifiable experience with similar technology consulting projects 2) Previous experience with both sole-source and completive procurements for upgrades 3) Knowledge of systems provided by competing vendors 4) Previous Motorola SmartNet system upgrade experience 5) Previous experience with microwave systems
RCC Meets all Ten of Glynn County s Requirements 6) Planning, procurement, implementation and cutover experience with both P25 Phase 1 and P25 Phase 2 systems 7) Sufficient staff with availability to complete the project on time and has the credentials and experience 8) Have a Registered Georgia Professional Engineer on staff 9) Prior experience with the Glynn County system and facilities 10) Independent and do not represent equipment manufacturers
Project Team
St Johns County, FL Migration from Conventional Legacy VHF Radio System to P25 System Design P25 Phase 1 11-site, 15-chan, 800MHz trunked simulcast, strong in-bldg coverage 6GHz Microwave Network (10 site loop with 3 MHSB spurs) Shelters, towers, generators, dispatch centers, etc. Competitive Procurement $24.5M (Motorola, Harris, and Tait) Implementation Detailed Design Review Implementation Oversight and Critical Inspections System Equipment and Coverage Testing Acceptance Testing <$100K in change orders ( 0.4%)
Miami-Dade County, FL Developed a migration plan with minimal disruption to the County s radio system Drove negotiations and mediation with Sprint-Nextel Sprint-Nextel provided the County with 24,000 new P25 700/800 MHz subscriber radios The County paid Harris $25 million to replace the outdated systems with a new P25 system, valued at $75 million The total value of the system and subscribers were determined by the County to be $165 million.
City of Houston, TX $130 Million, 700/800 MHz Trunked P25 System System Design Phase 2 TDMA, 700MHz, Public Safety (4) simulcast cells, (48) 700 MHz sites, (4) 5-channel multisite cells for remote area coverage 125 dispatch consoles and 20,000 radios Phase 2 TDMA, 800MHz, Public Works-(7) site simulcast 70 hops of new MPLS microwave RCC heavily involved in all three phases from start to finish Procurement, Detailed Design Review Implementation Oversight and Critical Inspections System Equipment and Coverage Testing Acceptance Testing
Polk County, IA Existing EDACS, 2-site multisite leased system Migrate to EDACS 8-Site and P25 RCC Services Perform needs analysis Develop procurement documents Review of Motorola purchase vs. RACOM lease proposals Assistance with negotiation of final scope and pricing Implementation assistance Interoperability planning and development of cutover plan Acceptance testing
What Our Clients Say Jerry Cameron, Assistant County Manager, St. Johns County, FL Their technical skills, vendor neutrality, and responsiveness mark them as a paragon of excellence and professionalism in their field. Chief Matt Schmitt, Pensacola Fire Department The city has had a continuous relationship with RCC since 1985 with spectacular results I cannot express how comforting it is to have a company like RCC guiding me through the process knowing the end result will be a completed project with all goals and objectives met. Martha Carter, 9-1-1 Administrator, Caddo Parish Communications District RCC develops long-term relationships with their clients, which is evidenced by their relationship with the District. Not only can they provide technical expertise in the design and engineering of public safety communications projects, they also excel in contract negotiations. Due to their contract negotiations abilities, they have saved the District millions of dollars in contract pricing. I would without hesitation, recommend their services.
RCC Is Uniquely Qualified Public safety focused, represents 90% of our business More successful P25 Phase I and II systems and cutovers than any other firm Chaired P25 standards development Heavily involved in NG9-1-1 standards development More than just technology experience Significant intel on pricing and T&Cs = Strategic Advantage Real-world operational experience including ICS, NIMS, COML, HSEEP, PMP, P.E., RCDD and ENP Certifications Strong bench, independent, and consensus-building approach Our primary goal is to ensure that our clients are satisfied