TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Gerald Moore, Chief of Police
SUBJECT:
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Salem Police Department Mobile Command Vehicle Purchase Progress Report
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Salem Police Department Mobile Command Vehicle Purchase for Salem Police.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information Only.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Police Department personnel had identified a mobile command vehicle to utilize in responding to major incidents and natural disasters as the department’s top major equipment need. It was determined that aA multi-year, collaborative effort involving city funds, community donations, and grants, was would be needed for the purchase.
In early 2017, the City of Salem participated in a competitive grant process with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to assist in the purchase of the mobile command vehicle. In November of 2017, the City received final documentation for a grant award in the amount of $250,000. The grant is retroactive to October 1, 2017, with the purchase of the mobile command vehicle intended to occur in the Federal Fiscal year 2017-18.
The Salem Police Department was able to utilize a cooperative purchasing agreement between the Port of Portland and Farber Specialty Vehicles which had been entered into through a competitive RFP process. This allowed the City to avoid the time and expense of engaging in its own competitive purchasing process for the command vehicle. Farber’s initial bid was an estimated cost of nearly $750,000. The project team made design alterations resulting in a projected project cost of $610,000.
In addition to the cost of the command vehicle, the City will have some customer provided equipment costs including: Motorola radios, computers for the work stations, VOIP phones, and a radio battery charging bank. The total cost of the equipment is approximately $31,200.
A campaign to raise funds for the purchase of a mobile command vehicle was undertaken by the Salem Police Foundation. The Foundation has made a commitment of $100,000 to the project.
On December 13, 2017, the project team traveled to Columbus Ohio to meet directly with Farber and determine the final bid and layout of the project. The team believed this visit was essential to developing an accurate bid/build process, thereby reducing the likelihood of needing future change orders.
In accordance with the OEM grant application, the project team received input from other agencies who had recently built command style vehicles. A significant takeaway from other agencies was to utilize the most recent technologies which allow for seamless operation of the vehicle in the field. The design team was able to gather information on technology systems that integrate with the current City of Salem IT systems which will allow for a direct pipeline into the City servers. The upfront work done to ensure seamless operations will ultimately simplify the use of the vehicle’s technological components as well as create efficiencies in the operations.
The build of the command vehicle will take approximately 120 days. We anticipate delivery of the final product between May and July of 2018.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
1. Funds available for the vehicle are the $250,000 OEM grant, $100,000 from the Police Foundation, and $250,000 in City funds approved by City Council in 2017.
2. Police Staff identified the need for a Command Vehicle following an incident involving an armed suspect firing randomly at police officers and others.
3. Through City budgeting, Salem Police Foundation fundraising, and an Oregon Office of Emergency Management grant, sufficient funds to purchase the Command Vehicle were obtained.
4. The total estimated cost of the vehicle and equipment is $641,000.
5. The Command Vehicle will provide police, fire and other necessary city and local administrators a working environment which provides technology, safety and equipment to manage major incidents and natural disasters.
6. The Command Vehicle will also be available for community events and projects where a mobile command structure will be of value.
7. The Command Vehicle may also serve as an educational platform for the police department and City at community functions.
George Burke
Deputy Chief
Attachments:
None