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Member
SUMMARY
The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) Joint PowersAuthority (JPA) has been developed through a county wide, multi agency and multi disciplined
effort to fund, design, construct, implement, and sustain a single regional communications platform and network of sufficient capacity to accommodate aU local government public safety
effort to fund, design, construct, implement, and sustain a single regional communications platform and network of sufficient capacity to accommodate aU local government public safety
radio communications needs in the Los Angeles Region. The LA-RICS vision is to establish the interoperable communications platform and have
it fully operational within ten years.
Communications Grant, the sums of which presently total approximately $100,000,000.00. The cost of the system for the actual build-out of infrastructure and the procurement of end user subscriber units (radios) is not known, but is estimated to exceed $1,000,000,000.00.
It is anticipated that, once developed and implemented, the LA-RICS communications platform will absorb or replace "all" existing public safety and general services communications infrastructure in the region, thus establishing a single platform of interoperability. The status of
existing infrastructure - or what LA-RICS refers to as ~Iegacy" systems - will be predicated upon their technology. age, degree of obsolescence, and compatibility with the newly designed system, to include the ICIS platform.
Funding of the LA-RICS project has thus far come in the form of moneys from the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and the investment of regional Homeland Security Grant dollars from both the Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grants Programs, as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce Public Safety Interoperable
Communications Grant, the sums of which presently total approximately $100,000,000.00. The cost of the system for the actual build-out of infrastructure and the procurement of end user subscriber units (radios) is not known, but is estimated to exceed $1,000,000,000.00.
The LA-RICS Joint Powers Authority Agreement was crafted by a committee of attorneys representing various potential member cities and the County of Los Angeles. A representative of the City of Glendale, City Attorney's Office, was a liaison with the committee.
The JPA Agreement has been reviewed and approved by both the Los Angeles County Police Chief's Association and Los Angeles Area Fire Chief's Association.
The JPA Agreement has been reviewed by both the Fire Chief and Police Chief who ecommend the City of Glendale enter into this Agreement; furthering the City's long standing commitment to developing interoperable communications of sufficient capacity to support firstresponderemergency operations on a truly regional basis.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact of joining the LA-RICS JPA other than that of City representatives attending related meetings and functions in the local area. Initial JPA membership does not entail any contribution or fiscal commitment to the design and implementation of the system. Any further engagement with the LA-RICS JPA that brings rise to fiscal contributions or other direct or indirect costs will be brought forth as a separate report for consideration.
BACKGROUND
The establishment of interoperable radio systems has been and remains a high priority of federal and local government. There is no substitute for the direct connection of all parties engaged in public safety services and other essential service deliveries, especially in times of crisis or disaster.
The City of Glendale and six partner cities have had the advantage of establishing the first interoperable communications radio platform in the region in the form of the Interagency Communications Interoperability System (ICIS) which exists as a JPA. The LA-RICS JPA system is expected to employ similar if not the same technologies, but on a larger scale and with wider area coverage, encompassing every aspect of local government within the county.
It is anticipated that, once developed and implemented, the LA-RICS communications platform will absorb or replace "all" existing public safety and general services communications infrastructure in the region, thus establishing a single platform of interoperability. The status of
existing infrastructure - or what LA-RICS refers to as ~Iegacy" systems - will be predicated upon their technology. age, degree of obsolescence, and compatibility with the newly designed system, to include the ICIS platform.
The completion of the LA-RICS system, as envisioned by its founding members, is a number of years in the future. The estimates range from five to ten years, or more, for complete regionalbuild-out. During this period the City of Glendale and its ICIS partner cities will continue to
maintain their own infrastructure and technologies as a robust, fully interoperable, and state of the art communications system.Joining the lA-RIGS JPA does not obligate the Gity of Glendale to ultimately employ that system as its primary communications platform. Those determinations will be made in the future, once the LA-RICS system is implemented, and only when the LA-RICS system demonstrates the capability and capacity to sustain Glendale's communications needs and meets essential coverage and operational expectations.
Initial membership in the LA-RICS JPA will position the City of Glendale to have a voice in determining the future direction of interoperable communications in the region.
Membership in the lA-RIGS JPA does not conflict with membership in the ICIS JPA Both agencies exist with a common mission of providing effective communications through interoperable technologies. One can and will only work to enhance the other and the potential exists for the systems to
be combined as one when their technologies converge at some point in the future.