R2024-08 Resolution Approving the Purchase and Installation of Two (2) Emergency Warning Sirens

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in Municipal Services DATE: 1/8/2024 MEMO: 2024-05 TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and City Council Members FROM: Scot Wrighton,City Manager Matt Newell,P.E.,Public Works Director Byron Bowman,Municipal Services Manager SUBJECT: Resolution Approving the Purchase and Installation of Two(2)Emergency Warning Sirens SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is proposed that the City Council determine whether it wishes to continue maintaining and operating its current emergency warning system. If they do,then it is recommended that they approve the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest two separate resolutions,described below. If the City Council wishes to consider an alternative system for emergency notification of citizens,then both of these items should be tabled.In any event,these expenses have been anticipated in the adopted FY2024 budget. 1. The expenditure of$47,827.00 to Federal Signal Corporation for the purchase and installation of two(2)Federal Signal outdoor emergency warning sirens. 2.The expenditure of$135,019.00 to Federal Signal Corporation for the purchase and installation of the Federal Signal Corporation siren activation and monitoring system. BACKGROUND: New Emergency Warning Sirens The City currently has 21 outdoor emergency warning sirens. In 2015 the City began replacing the outdoor warning sirens due to the age of the system and the limited availability of replacement parts. At that time,competitive quotes were received and it was determined that Federal Signal Corporation provided the best value to the City for providing emergency warning sirens. The Federal Signal siren is the most popular siren in Central Illinois and is compatible with the City's radio system. As part of this replacement program,to date,the City has replaced 11 of its 21 outdoor emergency warning sirens. The warning sirens located at the Macon County Fair Grounds and the City Fire Station on 22nd Street,by the old Firestone Building,were installed in 1996 and are currently our most problematic sirens. These sirens have had outages in recent years, along with battery acid corrosion due to battery failure,failing chargers,relays and deteriorated wiring,RTU boards have been repeatedly replaced,and all plastic,metal and flexible conduits have deteriorated due to age and exposure. New Emergency Warning Siren Activation and Monitoring System. The city's 21 outdoor emergency warning sirens are activated by radio transmission from the Regional Dispatch Center which communicates with each of the city's sirens. In 2023,Motorola discontinued its service of the city's siren activation system which includes: • Software • Activation consoles at the dispatch center and the backup radio tower at the Municipal Services Center • Remote controller receiver units at each siren Federal Signal provides the necessary units required to control their siren system and the proposal is to replace the above with Federal Signal units and software. Without the system communications upgrade,the system will, at some point,no longer be able to activate as individual receiver units fail in the future. The repair and replacement of outdoor warning sirens has become increasing expensive because these systems are antiquated, despite the biennial replacements initiated by the Public Works Department,which have been summarized here.