Dallas One Step Closer to a Public Safety Tech Overhaul

Dallas City Council approved a purchasing agreement that will lead to a public safety technology modernization overhaul.

The city sent out a press release with details about the agreement on Wednesday. According to the release, the two-year cooperative purchasing agreement with Federal Engineering, Inc. is for independent project management and implementation oversight services related to the city's replacement of its computer-aided dispatch, mobile, and records management systems.

The agreement, which is not to exceed $998,929 and comes with one six-month renewal option, will be funded through the General Fund, subject to annual appropriations.

According to the press release, the CAD/RMS replacement is a mission-critical public safety technology project that supports 911 call taking, dispatch, police, fire, EMS, records management, field operations, and court-related enforcement functions.

The implementation will impact multiple public safety functions across the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, the Dallas Marshals, the Municipal Court, and Detention Service. It will be completed in collaboration with Information and Technology services.

Contract partner Federal Engineering will provide independent project management and technical oversight to the city as it implements the new system. Its role will include milestone tracking, vendor compliance monitoring, oversight of system configuration and training activities, review of data migration activities, and more.

Federal Engineering was established 40 years ago and has completed more than 3,500 across the United States. After interviewing multiple firms, the city determined Federal Engineering provided the best combination of experience, staffing, and value.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux said, "Modernizing these core systems will strengthen the technology that supports our dispatchers, officers, firefighters, marshals, and public safety personnel every day, while helping ensure the project is implemented in a coordinated and accountable way."