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Member
By Ronald Zajac, The Recorder and Times
Posted 3 days ago
Spending worth more than $250,000, most of it on new police communications equipment, will be among the topics up for discussion today at city council's finance, administration and operations committee meeting.
The police service is recommending council approve the purchase of a replacement Motorola radio dispatch console for $204,500, spending $44,500 more than initially planned in the 2012 budget.
The police services board is proposing a sole-source deal, rather than a call for tenders, because the proposed new system is compatible with an existing product – the fire department's system, for which it could serve as a backup.
The 2012 capital budget includes $160,000 to be spent on the police’s Motorola radio dispatch console. A report to the committee notes the initial estimate is based on a system with “limited features” that still meets the police force's requirements.
“In discussions surrounding this project, the BPS board felt that moving forward with a limited feature system would not be the best decision for the long term,” the report adds.
The recommendation before the committee calls for the additional $44,500 to be debentured, along with the initial $160,000.
Brockville councillors mull idea of combining police, fire dispatch
By RONALD ZAJAC THE RECORDER AND TIMES
Updated 1 day ago
If the city is buying police communications equipment that could also serve the fire department, then why not merge the two dispatch systems, city councillors wonder.
"It begs the question," Councillor David Beatty, chairman of the finance, administration and operations committee, said Tuesday after being told the proposed police console, which costs $44,500 more than initially budgeted for a less costly item, will also be able to work with the fire dispatch system.
Mayor David Henderson, while acknowledging the question, said any talk of merging the police and fire systems is premature, adding the whole point at the moment is to have a police system that could back up the fire one in the event of a breakdown.
At their meeting Tuesday afternoon, committee members recommended the full council approve the purchase of a replacement Motorola radio dispatch console for the police service, at a cost of $204,500.
Tom Reil, the Brockville Police Service's civilian technical service co-ordinator, told the committee the current dispatch system is of 1981 vintage and badly in need of replacing.
The 2012 capital budget includes $160,000 to be spent on the police's Motorola radio dispatch console. But a report to the committee notes that initial estimate is based on a system with "limited features" and argues instead for the more expensive system.
The police services board is proposing a sole-source deal, rather than a call for tenders, because the proposed new system is compatible with the fire department's system, for which it could serve as a backup.
Committee members agreed it makes sense to spend more for equipment that could serve as a backup for the fire dispatch system.
But with that premise allowed, talk immediately turned to the inevitable next question of merging the two dispatch systems, since they would now be using the same technology.
Adding fuel to the discussion was Reil's observation that other communities have consolidated police and fire dispatch systems.
Henderson, who is also chairman of the police board, later said the possibility of eventually merging the two dispatch systems came up during the board's deliberations.
"That is one of the factors in the decision," said the mayor.
"But we are very, exceedingly premature on any discussion of that nature."
Despite Reil's findings, Henderson said that, historically, most municipalities have not had combined fire and police dispatch systems.
Complicating matters locally is the wide discrepancy in territories covered. While the police dispatch system covers only Brockville (the surrounding area is policed by the OPP), the fire dispatch system covers all of Leeds and Grenville, as well as South Dundas, South Stormont and South Glengarry.
Similarly, while city taxpayers foot the whole bill for police dispatch, there are six partners funding fire dispatch: Brockville, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Prescott, South Stormont, South Dundas and South Glengarry.
Further complicating any discussion about merging the systems would be labour negotiations, since police and fire dispatchers are now covered under separate collective agreements.
"There would be challenges," said city human resources director Jim Baker.
The full council is expected to vote on the proposed purchase next Tuesday.
Posted 3 days ago
Spending worth more than $250,000, most of it on new police communications equipment, will be among the topics up for discussion today at city council's finance, administration and operations committee meeting.
The police service is recommending council approve the purchase of a replacement Motorola radio dispatch console for $204,500, spending $44,500 more than initially planned in the 2012 budget.
The police services board is proposing a sole-source deal, rather than a call for tenders, because the proposed new system is compatible with an existing product – the fire department's system, for which it could serve as a backup.
The 2012 capital budget includes $160,000 to be spent on the police’s Motorola radio dispatch console. A report to the committee notes the initial estimate is based on a system with “limited features” that still meets the police force's requirements.
“In discussions surrounding this project, the BPS board felt that moving forward with a limited feature system would not be the best decision for the long term,” the report adds.
The recommendation before the committee calls for the additional $44,500 to be debentured, along with the initial $160,000.
Brockville councillors mull idea of combining police, fire dispatch
By RONALD ZAJAC THE RECORDER AND TIMES
Updated 1 day ago
If the city is buying police communications equipment that could also serve the fire department, then why not merge the two dispatch systems, city councillors wonder.
"It begs the question," Councillor David Beatty, chairman of the finance, administration and operations committee, said Tuesday after being told the proposed police console, which costs $44,500 more than initially budgeted for a less costly item, will also be able to work with the fire dispatch system.
Mayor David Henderson, while acknowledging the question, said any talk of merging the police and fire systems is premature, adding the whole point at the moment is to have a police system that could back up the fire one in the event of a breakdown.
At their meeting Tuesday afternoon, committee members recommended the full council approve the purchase of a replacement Motorola radio dispatch console for the police service, at a cost of $204,500.
Tom Reil, the Brockville Police Service's civilian technical service co-ordinator, told the committee the current dispatch system is of 1981 vintage and badly in need of replacing.
The 2012 capital budget includes $160,000 to be spent on the police's Motorola radio dispatch console. But a report to the committee notes that initial estimate is based on a system with "limited features" and argues instead for the more expensive system.
The police services board is proposing a sole-source deal, rather than a call for tenders, because the proposed new system is compatible with the fire department's system, for which it could serve as a backup.
Committee members agreed it makes sense to spend more for equipment that could serve as a backup for the fire dispatch system.
But with that premise allowed, talk immediately turned to the inevitable next question of merging the two dispatch systems, since they would now be using the same technology.
Adding fuel to the discussion was Reil's observation that other communities have consolidated police and fire dispatch systems.
Henderson, who is also chairman of the police board, later said the possibility of eventually merging the two dispatch systems came up during the board's deliberations.
"That is one of the factors in the decision," said the mayor.
"But we are very, exceedingly premature on any discussion of that nature."
Despite Reil's findings, Henderson said that, historically, most municipalities have not had combined fire and police dispatch systems.
Complicating matters locally is the wide discrepancy in territories covered. While the police dispatch system covers only Brockville (the surrounding area is policed by the OPP), the fire dispatch system covers all of Leeds and Grenville, as well as South Dundas, South Stormont and South Glengarry.
Similarly, while city taxpayers foot the whole bill for police dispatch, there are six partners funding fire dispatch: Brockville, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Prescott, South Stormont, South Dundas and South Glengarry.
Further complicating any discussion about merging the systems would be labour negotiations, since police and fire dispatchers are now covered under separate collective agreements.
"There would be challenges," said city human resources director Jim Baker.
The full council is expected to vote on the proposed purchase next Tuesday.
