REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 29, 2025
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Purchase Order for Vehicle Radio Equipment
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue a non-competitive Purchase Order to Motorola Solutions, Inc. for the purchase of 160 radios for patrol vehicles, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000.
(Presenter: Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director 387-3760)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The expense for patrol vehicle radios, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000, is included in the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s (Department) 2024-25 budget. On February 25, 2025 (Item No. 47), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a one-time use of the Asset Replacement Reserve of $400,000 to replace outdated radios that no longer meet the operational needs of the Department. Subsequently, on a companion item, the Board will approve the additional use of the Asset Replacement Reserve of $2,600,000 to replace outdated radios, from which the Department will utilize $600,000 to replace outdated radios for patrol vehicles that no longer meet the operational needs of the Department.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The County’s Information and Technology Department (ITD) operates and maintains the County’s Public Safety Radio System (System), that provides the means by which dispatch centers and mobile/portable radios communicate via voice transmission. The Department utilizes ITD’s System to facilitate public safety operations, provide multi-site wide-area communications, and over-the-air programming with advanced encryption technology to ensure reliable, stable, and secure communications between Department personnel and other law enforcement agencies.
Approval of this item will allow the Department to use Asset Replacement Reserve funding of $1,000,000 for the purchase of 160 patrol vehicle radios to address an emergent need related to a portion of our communication system through the modernization of radio equipment.
PROCUREMENT
As a part of ITD’s ongoing System updates that began in 2009, on September 11, 2012 (Item No. 30), the Board found that it was in the best interest of the County to continue with the use of Motorola’s radio equipment and services as the countywide standard through the completion of the System upgrade project, not to exceed 15 years. To ensure compatibility with the existing equipment, the Department recommends the non-competitive procurement of radio equipment, maintenance and support, software, and professional services from Motorola.
County Policy 11-04, Procurement of Goods and Supplies, Equipment and Services, requires departments to seek Board approval for non-competitive purchases of equipment and services in excess of $200,000 annually.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 14, 2025; Purchasing (Jason Cloninger, Lead Buyer, 387-0321) on March 14, 2025; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on April 14, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on April 14, 2025.