Dane Co Alliant Center: New Radio System RFP

[bc780l]

See http://danedocs.countyofdane.com/webdocs/pdf/purch/rfp109024.pdf for the RFP recently issued for a UHF digital two-way radio system for the Alliant Energy Center of Dane County.

Why they're not participating in the new, Dane Co-wide interoperable system that is currently in the final processes of RFP evaluation (Motorola RFP evaluation targeted to be complete by January 9, 2009, and the Tyco RFP evaluation targeted to be complete by January 29; evaluations and interviews in February), is beyond me. They have lots of law enforcement issues on site all the time--so why does the Center administration need a segregated vs. interoperable system??

The quality of and pre-disposed ideas within this RFP leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion.

 

[wirr]

Good questions.
Sounds like so/\/\ebody told them what to write to get MOTOTRBO………
- How well is the GPS feature going to work inside the buildings?
- Texting? Will people really use that on radios?
- They mention TDMA but say they need a repeater for each channel!

 

[kf9aq]

I could not acess that link, but was wondering if Dane Count Airport will be included in that , also the zoo??
Kevin G.
KF9AQ

 

[bc780l]

This RFP provides only coverage for the Alliant Center, a 160 acre campus of what used to be called the Dane Co Exposition Center and Coliseum. Yes, the zoo and airport admin radios are also on UHF, but they were not mentioned in the RFP.

I tested the link and it works. If it still doesn't work for you, try http://www.danepurchasing.com/bids.aspx and navigate to the specific RFP.

 

[biglaz]

...
Why they're not participating in the new, Dane Co-wide interoperable system that is currently in the final processes of RFP evaluation (Motorola RFP evaluation targeted to be complete by January 9, 2009, and the Tyco RFP evaluation targeted to be complete by January 29; evaluations and interviews in February), is beyond me. They have lots of law enforcement issues on site all the time--so why does the Center administration need a segregated vs. interoperable system??
...

This doesn't add much, but at least it confirms you weren't the only one with that thought.

"The Alliant Energy Center is pursuing its own proprietary UHF system and does not appear eager to participate in the interoperable system."

Source: http://danedocs.countyofdane.com/webdocs/pdf/coclerk/minutes/TC20090220m.pdf

 

[bc780l]

Yeah, I saw that in the minutes, too. My thoughts were that the County Executive should get some balls and mandate that all County entities that use radio will participate in the new system to avoid duplication of efforts and unnecessary expenditure of funds.

Of course, that won't happen--not to mention the fact that the County will not budget to ensure that all fire/police/ems will get radios to ensure that it is a truly interoperable system with everyone on it (the taxpayers will pay for those radios sooner or later, so why not get it done up front??).

They'll still have to have console enhancements to ensure patches are available between the disparate systems, but without removing as much duplication of effort, those consoles will be more complex and expensive (or without the funds, just as limited as they are today) to provide quality cross-agency communications. Sure would be easier to just go to a new talk-group vs. have a dispatcher set up a new patch.

 

[bc780l]

See: http://danedocs.countyofdane.com/webdocs/pdf/purch/bid109060.pdf for a new specific bid for Mototrbo radios and repeaters -- for the Alliant Center.