R2012-64 AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHING SYSTEM (EMD)

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Council Information Memorandum 2012-03 Page 12 The Committee: Three city agencies are represented on a committee that was tasked with researching EMD and offering recommendations. The agencies are the Dispatch Center, the Decatur Police Department and the Decatur Fire Department. Police Chief Todd Walker, whose department is responsible for running the Dispatch Center, and Fire Chief Matt Sekosky, whose department is so often dispatched on medical calls in the city, appointed representatives. For the last few months, this committee has been gathering information on EMD, on specific vendors, prices for service, installation needs for software, and specifications for hardware. The committee visited or contacted several area dispatch centers to see the system in operation and solicit the dispatchers' opinions on their vendors and how the systems worked for them. The centers all stated that they did not need to increase staffing to institute EMD, although a couple did so at first to accommodate the expected learning curve. All the agencies spoke positively about using EMD. In the centers we contacted, this has been practiced from over 20 years to more than a decade, so they all had plenty of time to become familiar with the system. All the centers contacted used the same vendor, Priority Dispatch, spoke highly of it, and this is the vendor the committee is in favor of using. The Vendors: There are three vendors for EMD service. • APCO: this vendor came in with the lowest bid. They also gave us only a partial bid, with the initial training costs being separate and depending on a few variables. This is a D-I-Y vendor, with the customers being required to learn how to train their personnel, and then do it themselves. The price was from $16,928.50 to $24,130.50, depending on which training option is chosen. This company was difficult to get information from, and left us thinking we would be getting what we paid for with them. Annual maintenance fee: $1,687.50. • PowerPhone: The highest bid came in from PowerPhone, at $52,600.00. Their annual maintenance fee was also highest. The committee sat through a web-demo/presentation of their product. We agreed that it appeared complicated and difficult to follow. It is more than just an EMD service: it is an all-emergency service, which layers all responding agencies in its system. This no doubt contributes to the complexity of the system. Annual maintenance fee: $5,077.00. • Priority Dispatch: This system is in use all over this part of the state, with universally satisfied users. The rep has been prompt with answering questions, giving information, and assisting us. Their bid came in at $43,493.00 that includes software, equipment and training. Annual maintenance fee: $3,977.00. The committee unanimously endorses this vendor. POTENTIAL OBJECTION: None STAFF REFERENCE: Matthew Sekosky, Fire Chief(424-2811) Fred Schneller, Battalion Chief(424-2811)