Deltek pulse: justice/public safety and homeland security January review

Published: February 05, 2013

Communications ServicesContract AwardsData CenterJustice/Public Safety & Homeland Security

The most common technologies and services procured across states and localities in January were fire alarm and suppression systems, security camera/CCTV systems and radio systems. The word cloud below provides a visual interpretation of key-term frequency.

Radio Systems: 4 solicitations

Security Camera / CCTV systems: 7 solicitations

Fire Alarm or Suppression Systems: 28 solicitations

 

The new year started off with the long-anticipated narrowbanding deadline on January 1. Despite this, there are still many cities and counties that have yet to meet the criteria, and others that have met the deadline, but still have older systems that need upgrading. Ostego County, N.Y., canceled its initial solicitation for a new radio system, but has since re-issued an RFP with a revised scope to attract more bidders. The state of Iowa also released an RFP for a new public safety land mobile radio (LMR) system; however, the state is considering utilizing another option and may not award a contract. It is likely that radio systems will continue to be popular even though the deadline has passed, due to the critical role they play in all public safety operations.
 
Another trend passed along from December is the rising popularity of emergency notification systems. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, N.C., released an RFI for an emergency management alert notification system; other communities in Iowa, Virginia and Colorado also announced plans to implement these systems. Social media, unpredictable and often devastating weather, and the increasing need to alert citizens of major events at the drop of a hat are fueling this new trend.
 
Justice and courts technologies were also on the rise in January. New Hampshire received five bids for its electronic court system project. The state hopes the awarded vendor will leverage its existing court case management system while augmenting the case processing workflow process. In Colorado Springs, the municipal court conducted demonstrations with vendors who had responded to a request for information for a new justice information system. The city ultimately decided to contract a vendor to perform a consultation on the project, in which a solicitation for the system will be released afterward.    
 
Analyst’s Take
 
At a national level, the hottest topic in January was the federal gun registry. It remains to be seen what form this type of system will take and what the expectations will be for individual states. Should the system come to fruition, there will likely be a major impact on states’ business operations. Deltek anticipates that the system will ultimately look something like the current Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification (IAFIS) and Combined Offender DNA Index System (CODIS) systems, where individual states and localities have their own systems that feed into a larger, nationwide database. This would be a huge opportunity for vendors interested in pursuing a mega database project, as well as systems integrators who have the ability to connect smaller, disparate systems to larger ones. 
 
Systems integrators should also be on the lookout for contracting opportunities in locations where surveillance systems are being expanded – such as La Crosse, Wisconsin – as well as major consolidation efforts. One example is the city of Terrell, Texas, which is working to develop a new radio system that will likely connect with the county’s system at a future date. As consolidation efforts continue, vendors would be wise to keep systems integration projects at the forefront of their portfolios.
 
GovWin IQ subscribers can read further about these projects in the provided links. Non-subscribers can gain access with a GovWin IQ free trial.