NCFPD approves sole source contract for station alerting

The North County Fire Protection District approved a sole-source contract with ComTech Communications for a station alerting system at NCFPD’s new Station 5.

The NCFPD board’s 5-0 vote April 22 approved ComTech Communications as the sole source provider of the ComTech 10 Fire Station Alerting System while approving the ComTech 10 Fire Station Alerting System as the sole source for all NCFPD fire station alerting systems. The board’s action also approved a $56,303.34 contract for the purchase and installation of the system at Station 5.

The North County Fire Protection District is part of the North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority. “The JPA called out for specific equipment,” said battalion chief Steve Marovich. “It has to meet their specifications.”

The ComTech system is already in use in the existing NCFPD fire stations. “All of our systems have been brought up to these specifications,” Marovich said.

The system enables the fire station designated as the first responder to receive information about the incident from the dispatch center. “They get direct information,” said NCFPD deputy fire chief Ed Sprague.

“When they dispatch us we have speaker systems and lighting that goes off,” Marovich said.

The current NCFPD Station 5 is currently located near Bonsall Elementary School. In September 2013, the NCFPD board awarded a construction contract for a replacement fire station, which will be located near Olive Hill Road and State Route 76, to Keeton Construction of Temecula. The construction is currently in the interior electrical, plumbing, and mechanical phase. ComTech Communications will work with Keeton Construction on the installation and has been able to meet the site pre-requisite requirements.