Computer Aided Dispatch System

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of this Request For Information

Through this request for information (the “RFI”), the City of Surrey (the “City”) is seeking responses from Respondents (the “Respondent”) who offer goods and/or services related to Public Safety Applications – specifically Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) to address needs (refer to Schedule A – Business Statements for more detail). Our focus in this RFI is to consult the market and explore potential CAD solutions to address our requirements, including ideas and recommendations on strategy, scope and approach.

Interested parties are invited to respond to this RFI by submitting a response (the “Response”) to the City. Responses should include ideas, information and recommendations that could result in a clarification of requirements, cost-savings opportunities and the identification of potential problem areas with this initiative.

This RFI is intended to gather information that could assist the City in the development of a future procurement process, or processes (i.e., RFxs). In the event that sufficient information is received from this RFI, the City may, but is not obligated to, initiate a competitive procurement opportunity, or opportunities.

If a subsequent competitive procurement opportunity or opportunities are issued, the City is under no obligation to advise any Respondent responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised to monitor the City website and BC Bid website for any such opportunities, which will be open to all suppliers regardless of whether or not a response to this RFI has been submitted.

Respondents must not respond with any proprietary or confidential information as any information and/or recommendations in response to this RFI may be used by the City in determining the structure and content of any subsequent procurement opportunity, or opportunities. So please be careful not to send anything you might consider confidential.

The City reserves the right to invite additional responses from suppliers that did not respond to this RFI for any reason.

OVERVIEW

The following business statement encapsulates the Computer Aided Dispatch (“CAD”) needs faced by the City, to which Responses to this RFI should be directed.

The City is requesting information for the potential acquisition of a CAD system. The CAD system is a key primary tool used by 9-1-1 call takers and fire dispatchers to manage every facet of an emergency and non emergency call. The CAD system is used to capture the name, phone number, and address/GPS location of the 9-1-1 caller. When a caller requires help from a Fire Department, the CAD system is used to display the location on a map/zone and allocate dispatch resources. Surrey Fire Services (“SFS”) dispatch centre receives approximately 115,000-120,000 calls annually with 20,000 incoming 9-1-1 calls. SFS provides fire dispatching services to 50 fire departments across British Columbia, with a mix of urban and rural clients which stretch from Vancouver Island to the Alberta border. SFS also provides after hours public works to 11 municipalities and after hours Bylaws to the City of Surrey. There are 5-7 staff working at any given time and work as both call takers and dispatchers.