REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
March 2, 2017
FROM: KERRI L. DONIS, Fire Chief
Fire Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the purchase of 25 emergency mobile radios and the purchase of Vote Scan firmware technology to upgrade 370 existing mobile radios. The added radios and Vote Scan technology will improve emergency scene communication and firefighter safety.
1. ***RESOLUTION-49TH Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2016-118 Appropriating $129,500 for the purchase of vote scan firmware technology to upgrade 370 existing mobile radios (Requires 5 affirmative votes)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended Council approve a resolution to purchase 25 emergency radios and upgrade 370 existing mobile radios with Vote Scan firmware technology. This purchase will allow for improved emergency scene communication, broader functionality to work with the infrastructure components of the City of Fresno radio system.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Vote Scan is an add-on firmware modification that the Fire Department radio supplier can install for approximately $85.00 per unit. The Vote scan function allows a hand held radio to scan for multiple frequencies at one time and select the strongest signal. Communications on scene use two separate frequencies to communicate with the infrastructure of receivers and transmitters. The vote scan feature allows the radios to scan frequencies directed to the inputs of the receivers and also frequencies coming in from the transmitters. This ability is a radical departure from the previous technology which only allowed us to use one of the two aforementioned frequencies. In summary, the vote scan feature allows the hand held radios to select between the best signal coming from the infrastructure or hand held radios on scene without compromising the involvement of the dispatch center, incoming equipment and our ability to record the communications at scene
BACKGROUND
After conducting tests at three (3) areas known f...
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