To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Fire Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Report Title: Telex - Dispatch Console Systems COOP Purchase
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, on behalf of the Fire Chief, to execute a purchase order with Telepath, an authorized reseller for Telex, in an amount not to exceed $276,597, pursuant to the terms of the Sourcewell Master Agreement and the Participating Addendum between Bosch Security Systems, LLC and Sourcewell, for the purchase and installation of IP control equipment for two-way radio communications; and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief to take any other actions necessary to implement the purchase consistent with the terms of the agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Budgeted.100% EMS Transport Fund
BACKGROUND:
Telex Radio Dispatch is a leading manufacturer of IP control for two-way radio communications. Their dispatch console systems offer flexibility, scalability, and redundant capabilities across both distributed and server-based architectures.
This system is crucial for providing necessary Radio communication support to our center during major incidents, evacuations, or when additional dispatch personnel is required. The current backup facility at San Ramon Valley Fire and Police Department lacks sufficient seating capacity for the Fire District’s full team. Implementing the Telex system in Command Vehicle 84 (CMD 84) will effectively resolve this space limitation and allow dispatchers to communicate seamlessly with firefighters and AMR.
Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing organization, competitively awarded a Master Agreement to Bosch Security Systems, LLC, which includes Telex products and allows participating agencies to purchase under the Master Agreement via a Participating Addendum. Telepath is an authorized Telex reseller and may sell Telex products under that Sourcewell agreement. Procuring the system through the Sourcewell Master Agreement and Participating Addendum serves the District’s best interests by providing competitively procured terms and pricing and enabling efficient procurement without the need for a separate solicitation.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, the Regional Fire Communications Center will continue to rely on the San Ramon Valley Fire and Police Department backup center, which lacks sufficient seating. This could result in reduced redundancy and resiliency of regional dispatch operations and may increase risk during emergencies or outages.