TO PROVIDE TRUNKED RADIO SYSTEM

Erie County, NY
ERIE COUNTY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
TO PROVIDE TRUNKED RADIO SYSTEM
RFP#: 2026-018VF
February 5, 2026
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY & EMERGENCY SERVICES
ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPUS
45 ELM STREET
BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14203
COUNTY OF ERIE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
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1. Project Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Project Objective ........................................................................................................................... 6
1.1.1 Dispatch ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.1.2 Backhaul ................................................................................................................................ 7
2. General Provisions ................................................................................................................................ 7
2.1 Schedule of Events ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2 Oral Presentation ........................................................................................................................ 11
2.3 Submission Requirements .......................................................................................................... 12
2.4 Compliance Matrix Instructions .................................................................................................. 12
2.5 Definition of Terms ..................................................................................................................... 13
3. Respondent Experience ...................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Team Experience and Qualifications ........................................................................................... 13
3.2 Product and Subcontractor Working Experience ....................................................................... 14
4. General System and Contractor Requirements .................................................................................. 14
4.1 General Project Requirements .................................................................................................... 14
4.2 General Business Terms .............................................................................................................. 15
4.3 Project Management .................................................................................................................. 16
4.4 Kick Off ........................................................................................................................................ 17
4.5 Project Milestones and Acceptance ............................................................................................ 17
4.6 Design Review Activities ............................................................................................................. 19
4.6.1 General Detailed Design Review Phase Requirements ....................................................... 19
4.6.2 Facilities Suitability Assessment .......................................................................................... 20
4.6.3 Network Link Assessment ................................................................................................... 20
4.6.4 Electrical Power Evaluation ................................................................................................. 20
4.6.5 Grounding and Lightening Protection Assessment And Design ......................................... 20
4.6.6 Antenna Support Structure Suitability and Design ............................................................. 21
4.6.7 RF Prevention Interference Certification ............................................................................ 21
4.7 Installation Planning and Site Preparation ................................................................................. 21
4.8 Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 22
4.8.1 General Documentation Requirements .............................................................................. 22
4.8.2 Maintenance Documentation and Manuals ....................................................................... 23
4.8.3 As-Built Documentation ...................................................................................................... 24
4.9 Training ....................................................................................................................................... 25
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5. ECTRN Technical Requirements .......................................................................................................... 27
5.1 Reliability Requirements ............................................................................................................. 27
5.2 Network Security ........................................................................................................................ 28
5.3 Sustainability and Lifecycle ......................................................................................................... 28
5.4 Standards Compliance ................................................................................................................ 29
5.5 Radio System Fixed Network Requirements ............................................................................... 30
5.5.1 Radio Access Network Functional Requirements ............................................................... 30
5.5.2 Base Station Equipment Performance Specifications ......................................................... 31
5.5.3 Repeater Performance Specifications ................................................................................. 32
5.5.4 Site Routers and Switches ................................................................................................... 32
5.5.5 Simulcast Solution: Controllers, GPS, Signal Comparators, Audio Distribution .................. 32
5.5.6 Antenna Systems ................................................................................................................. 33
5.5.7 Equipment Racks ................................................................................................................. 33
5.6 Radio Site Equipment Installation ............................................................................................... 33
5.6.1 General Installation Requirements ..................................................................................... 33
5.6.2 Equipment Installation ........................................................................................................ 34
5.6.3 Transmission Lines and Antennas Installation .................................................................... 35
5.7 Other Infrastructure Requirements ............................................................................................ 36
5.7.1 Electrical Work .................................................................................................................... 36
5.7.2 Emergency Back-Up Generators and Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) ............................. 36
5.8 Console Sub-System Requirements ............................................................................................ 38
5.8.1 Interface to Existing Consoles Via CSSI ............................................................................... 39
5.8.2 New/Replacement Consoles ............................................................................................... 39
New Dispatch Consoles Functions and User Interface ....................................................................... 40
New Dispatch Console Patching Requirements .................................................................................. 42
New Dispatch Console Availability...................................................................................................... 42
New Dispatch Console Training Requirements .................................................................................. 43
5.8.3 Remote Dispatch Capability ................................................................................................ 43
5.9 Backup Control Stations .............................................................................................................. 43
5.10 Optional Interfaces ..................................................................................................................... 45
5.10.1 IP Based Coverage Extension .............................................................................................. 45
5.10.2 Other Push To Talk Services Interface ................................................................................ 45
5.10.3 Push To Talk Over Broadband Service ................................................................................ 45
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6. Radio Coverage Requirements............................................................................................................ 46
6.1 Bounded Area Coverage ............................................................................................................. 46
7. Backhaul System Requirements .......................................................................................................... 48
7.1 Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) / Routing ....................................................................... 48
8. Network Management System (NMS) ................................................................................................ 49
8.1 General Network Management System Requirements .............................................................. 49
8.2 NMS Voice System Requirements............................................................................................... 50
8.3 Fault Monitoring, Diagnostics and Alarm Management Requirements ..................................... 50
8.4 Contact Closures and SNMP Alarms ........................................................................................... 52
9. Other Systems ..................................................................................................................................... 52
9.1 Recording .................................................................................................................................... 52
10. Acceptance Testing ............................................................................................................................. 53
10.1 General System Acceptance Testing ........................................................................................... 53
10.2 Factory Testing and Staging ........................................................................................................ 54
10.3 Installation and Baseline Testing ................................................................................................ 54
10.4 Functional Acceptance Testing ................................................................................................... 55
10.5 Coverage Acceptance Testing ..................................................................................................... 56
10.6 Specific Building Testing .............................................................................................................. 58
10.7 Testing Punch Lists ...................................................................................................................... 58
11. System Transition and Cutover ........................................................................................................... 58
12. Decommissioning and Removal of Equipment ................................................................................... 59
13. Warranty and On-Going Maintenance Support .................................................................................. 59
13.1 Warranty Period and Support Criteria ........................................................................................ 59
13.2 General Maintenance and Support Requirements ..................................................................... 60
13.3 Software and Firmware Support ................................................................................................. 61
13.4 System Monitoring and Dispatch Service ................................................................................... 62
13.4.1 System Monitoring Requirements ...................................................................................... 62
13.4.2 Technical and On-Call Support Service ............................................................................... 62
13.4.3 Severity Levels and Response Times ................................................................................... 62
13.5 System and Field Maintenance Requirements ........................................................................... 64
13.6 Spare Equipment ......................................................................................................................... 65
14. Technical Response/Work Plan Description Instructions ................................................................... 65
14.1 ECTRN Overview ......................................................................................................................... 65
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14.2 ECTRN Lifecycle and Sustainability ............................................................................................. 66
14.3 Radio System Overview .............................................................................................................. 66
14.4 Console Sub-System .................................................................................................................... 68
14.5 Reliability and Security ................................................................................................................ 68
14.6 RFRS Coverage Description ......................................................................................................... 68
14.7 Network Management System (NMS) ........................................................................................ 69
14.8 Backup Control Stations .............................................................................................................. 70
14.9 Factory Testing/Staging and Delivery of the ECTRN ................................................................... 70
14.10 Coverage Performance Acceptance Test Plan ........................................................................ 70
14.11 Functional and Baseline Acceptance Test Plans ..................................................................... 70
14.12 System Transition and Cutover Methodology ........................................................................ 70
14.13 Training Program Overview .................................................................................................... 71
14.14 Test and Spare Equipment ...................................................................................................... 71
14.15 Project Management and Staffing .......................................................................................... 71
14.16 County and Other Client Agency Responsibilities ................................................................... 72
14.17 Project Schedule ..................................................................................................................... 72
14.18 Detailed Final System Design .................................................................................................. 73
14.19 Radio System Installation and Implementation ...................................................................... 73
14.20 Warranty and Ongoing Support Services ................................................................................ 73
14.21 Value Add Products and Services ............................................................................................ 74
15. County Simulcast Cell Capacity Expansion Options ............................................................................ 74
15.1 General Requirements ................................................................................................................ 74
16. Cost Proposal ...................................................................................................................................... 74
16.1 Cost Proposal Table ..................................................................................................................... 74
16.2 Milestone Payment Percentages ................................................................................................ 74
17. Exhibits and Appendices ..................................................................................................................... 74
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1. Project Introduction
1.1 Project Objective
Project Name: Erie County Public Safety Trunked Network Project
Public safety and public service agencies of Erie County, New York are pursuing upgrades to their public
safety communications systems and are seeking a detailed proposal to design, build, implement, test and
commission into service a countywide land mobile radio (LMR) system with a public safety-grade backhaul
network. The collective end user agencies will be represented by the Erie County Department of
Homeland Security, hereafter referred to as the "County". The resulting system, hereafter referred to as
the Erie County Trunked Radio Network ("ECTRN") will be defined per the specifications detailed in this
RFP. The ECTRN solution will be a UHF frequency band Project 25 Phase 2 trunked network that will
integrate with the Niagara County Motorola P25 Phase 1 core network and it's backhaul network to
achieve a geo-redundant network core between Niagara and the Erie County system.
It is the county's objective that the resulting system is to be capable of supporting the communications
needs of all public safety agencies within the County (cities, towns, villages). While some public safety
agencies within the County may continue to operate on their own networks, it is anticipated that many of
these local agencies will transition to the new system. When doing so, these non-county agencies will
fund their unique requirements for user equipment and, if necessary, additional infrastructure that would
be integrated with the County's system. The ultimate contract for this solicitation will then enable these
separate entities to leverage the terms of the County's contract. The first phase of the project will be to
build out multiple simulcast cells that support the County operations, and the City of Buffalo. Upon
completion of that phase, additional local agencies may transition to the network when practical. The
phased approach will account for the availability of the additional licensed frequencies as necessary,
whereby only after users have successfully transitioned to the new trunked network will the licensed
frequencies be added to the network.
Existing fire paging systems must remain operational throughout the transition to the new system and
following the transition. Additionally, other existing analog systems will also remain in place to support
interoperability and other users. Some of these systems utilize additional sites that are not anticipated
to be part of ECTRN. These additional sites (to be identified) must still be maintained and incorporated
into the backhaul, MPLS and NMS networks as appropriate.
1.1.1 Dispatch
Erie County, and the City of Buffalo agencies utilize the following dispatch facilities listed in Table 1.
Other dispatch centers may be integrated by localities in Erie County in the future.
Dispatch Center Console Type and Location
Quantity
Erie County Public Safety 26 MCC7500 45 Elm St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Campus
Erie County Backup 18 MCC7500 3359 Broadway, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
Table 1: Erie County Dispatch Centers
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1.1.2 Backhaul
The County currently operates an extensive microwave backhaul network to support its current
operations. A separate RFP will be issued to request proposals for an upgraded microwave network.
The infrastructure provided via this RFP must integrate with the existing and/or upgraded backhaul
network.
2. General Provisions
Statement of Rights: UNDERSTANDINGS
Please take notice, by submission of a proposal in response to this request for proposals, the proposer
agrees to and understands:
* that any proposal, attachments, additional information, etc. submitted pursuant to this
Request for Proposals constitute merely a suggestion to negotiate with Erie County of Erie
and is not a bid under Section 103 of the New York State General Municipal Law;
* submission of a proposal, attachments, and additional information shall not entitle the
proposer to enter into an agreement with Erie County of Erie for the required services;
* by submitting a proposal, the proposer agrees and understands that Erie County of Erie is
not obligated to respond to the proposal, nor is it legally bound in any manner whatsoever
by submission of same;
* that any and all counter-proposals, negotiations or any communications received by a
proposing entity, its officers, employees or agents from Erie County, its elected officials,
officers, employees or agents, shall not be binding against Erie County of Erie, its elected
officials, officers, employees or agents unless and until a formal written agreement for the
services sought by this RFP is duly executed by both parties and approved by the Erie County
Legislature, the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority, and the Office of the Erie County
Attorney.
* In addition to the foregoing, by submitting a proposal, the proposer also understands and
agrees that Erie County of Erie reserves the right, and may at its sole discretion exercise, the
following rights and options with respect to this Request for Proposals:
o To reject any or all proposals
o To issue amendments to this RFP
o To issue additional solicitations for proposals
o To waive any irregularities in proposals received after notification to proposers affected;
o To select any proposal as the basis for negotiations of a contract, and to negotiate with
one or more of the proposers for amendments or other modifications to their
proposals;
o To conduct investigations with respect to the qualifications of each proposer;
o To exercise its discretion and apply its judgment with respect to any aspect of this RFP,
the evaluation of proposals, and the negotiations and award of any contract;
o To enter into an agreement for only portions (or not to enter into an agreement for any)
of the services contemplated by the proposals with one or more of the proposers;
o To select the proposal that best satisfies the interests of Erie County and not necessarily
on the basis of price or any other single factor;
o To interview the proposer(s);
o To request or obtain additional information Erie County deems necessary to determine
the ability of the proposer;
o To modify dates;
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* All proposals prepared in response to this RFP are at the sole expense of the proposer, and
with the express understanding that there will be no claim, whatsoever, for reimbursement
from Erie County for the expenses of preparation. Erie County assumes no responsibility or
liability of any kind for costs incurred in the preparation or submission of any proposal;
* While this is an RFP and not a bid, Erie County reserves the right to apply the case law under
General Municipal Law 103 regarding bidder responsibility in determining whether a
proposer is a responsible vendor for the purpose of this RFP process; and
* Erie County is not responsible for any internal or external delivery delays which may cause
any proposal to arrive beyond the stated deadline. To be considered, proposals MUST
arrive at the place specified herein and be time-stamped prior to the deadline.
* All proposals submitted become the RFP Issuer's property and will not be returned to the
proposers.
* All consultants should understand that Erie County is committed to an open, fair and
transparent selection process. All RFP submissions will be reviewed, objectively scored
and ranked. Shortlisted firms will be interviewed prior to recommendation for selection.
* The highest-ranking firm after scoring and interviews will be recommended to the Erie
County Legislature for authorization to enter into contract. Scores and ranking of all firms
will be provided to the Legislature and the results will at that time become public record.
* Proposing firms should understand that to provide for this open and transparent process,
more time will be required. The timeframe from advertisement to contract execution may
be up to six months. Consultants should consider this when scheduling staff time and
anticipating project commencement.
* Firms are encouraged to include Certified Minority and Women Owned Business
Enterprises (MBE/WBE) in their teams in order to meet Erie County's goals of 15% MBE
and 5% WBE participation. Certified MBE/WBE proposers should include the Erie County
certification letter with the proposal.
* If proposer is a Veteran Owned Business, proposer should include letter indicating
company is 51% or more Veteran-owned.
Contract
After selection of the successful proposer, a formal written contract will be prepared by County of Erie
and will not be binding until signed by both parties and, if necessary, approved by the Erie County
Legislature, the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority and the Office of Erie County Attorney. NO RIGHTS
SHALL ACCRUE TO ANY PROPOSER BY THE FACT THAT A PROPOSAL HAS BEEN SELECTED BY ERIE
COUNTY FOR SUBMISSION TO THE ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE AND/OR THE ERIE COUNTY FISCAL
STABILITY AUTHORITY FOR APPROVAL. THE APPROVAL OF SAID LEGISLATURE AND/OR AUTHORITY MAY
BE NECESSARY BEFORE A VALID AND BINDING CONTRACT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ERIE COUNTY.
The term of the contract shall be for a three (3) year period commencing approximately July 30th, 2026,
and terminating July 29th, 2029. Erie County, in its sole discretion, may extend the agreement beyond
its initial term for up to two (2) additional year periods at the same prices and conditions.
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Indemnification and Insurance
The proposer accepts and agrees that language in substantially the following form will be included in the
contract between the proposer and Erie County:
"In addition to, and not in limitation of the insurance requirements contained herein the Consultant
agrees:
(a) that except for the amount, if any, of damage contributed to, caused by or resulting from the
negligence of Erie County, the Consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless Erie County, its officers,
employees and agents from and against any and all liability, damage, claims, demands, costs, judgments,
fees, attorneys' fees or loss arising directly or indirectly out of the acts or omissions hereunder by the
Consultant or third parties under the direction or control of the Consultant; and
(b) to provide defense for and defend, at its sole expense, any and all claims, demands or causes of
action directly or indirectly arising out of this Agreement and to bear all other costs and expenses
related thereto. Upon execution of any contract between the proposer and Erie County, the proposer
will be required to provide proof of the insurance coverage described in Schedule "B". Insurance
coverage in amount and form shall not be deemed acceptable until approved by Erie County Attorney.
Intellectual Property Rights
The proposer accepts and agrees that language in substantially the following form will be included in the
contract between the proposer and Erie County:
All deliverables created under this Agreement by the Consultant are to be considered "works made for
hire". If any of the deliverables do not qualify as "works made for hire", the Consultant hereby assigns to
Erie County all right, title and interest (including ownership of copyright) in such deliverables and such
assignment allows Erie County to obtain in its name copyrights, registrations and similar protections
which may be available. The Consultant agrees to assist Erie County, if required, in perfecting these
rights. The Consultant shall provide Erie County with at least one copy of each deliverable.
The Consultant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Erie County for all damages, liabilities, losses and
expenses arising out of any claim that a deliverable infringes upon an intellectual property right of a
third party. If such a claim is made, or appears likely to be made, the Consultant agrees to enable Erie
County's continued use of the deliverable, or to modify or replace it. If Erie County determines that
none of these alternatives is reasonably available, the deliverable will be returned.
All records compiled by the Consultant in completing the work described in this Agreement, including
but not limited to written reports, source codes, studies, drawings, blueprints, negatives of
photographs, computer printouts, graphs, charts, plans, specifications and all other similar recorded
data, shall become and remain the property of Erie County. The Consultant may retain copies of such
records for its own use.
Non-Collusion
The proposer, by signing the proposal, does hereby warrant and represent that any ensuing agreement
has not been solicited, secured or prepared directly or indirectly, in a manner contrary to the laws of the
State of New York and Erie County of Erie, and that said laws have not been violated and shall not be
violated as they relate to the procurement or the performance of the agreement by any conduct,
including the paying or the giving of any fee, commission, compensation, gift, gratuity or consideration
of any kind, directly or indirectly, to any County employee, officer or official.
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Conflict of Interest
All proposers must disclose with their proposals the name of any officer, director or agent who is also an
employee of Erie County of Erie. Further, all proposers must disclose the name of any County employee
who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of ten percent or more in the firm or any of its subsidiaries
or affiliates.
There shall be no conflicts in existence during the term of any contract with Erie County. The existence
of a conflict shall be grounds for termination of a contract.
Compliance with Laws
By submitting a proposal, the proposer represents and warrants that it is familiar with all federal, state
and local laws and regulations and will conform to said laws and regulations. The preparation of
proposals, selection of proposers and the award of contracts are subject to provisions of all Federal,
State and County laws, rules and regulations.
Compliance with Laws
The New York State Freedom of Information Law as set forth in Public Officers Law, Article 6, Sections 84
et seq., mandates public access to government records. However, proposals submitted in response to
this RFP may contain technical, financial background or other data, public disclosure of which could
cause substantial injury to the proposer's competitive position or constitute a trade secret. Proposers
who have a good faith belief that information submitted in their proposals is protected from disclosure
under the New York Freedom of Information Law shall:
a) insert the following notice in the front of its proposal:
"NOTICE"
The data on pages ___ of this proposal identified by an asterisk (*) contains technical or
financial information constituting trade secrets or information the disclosure of which would
result in substantial injury to the proposer's competitive position.
The proposer requests that such information be used only for the evaluation of the proposal,
but understands that any disclosure will be limited to the extent that Erie County considers
proper under the law. If Erie County enters into an agreement with this proposer, Erie County
shall have the right to use or disclose such information as provided in the agreement, unless
otherwise obligated by law."
And
b) clearly identify the pages of the proposals containing such information by typing in bold face on the
top of each page " * THE PROPOSER BELIEVES THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PROTECTED FROM
DISCLOSURE UNDER THE STATE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW."
Erie County assumes no liability for disclosure of information so identified, provided that Erie County has
made good faith legal determination that the information is not protected from disclosure under
applicable law or where disclosure is required to comply with an order or judgment of a court of
competent jurisdiction.
The contents of the proposal which is accepted by Erie County, except portions "Protected from
Disclosure", may become part of any agreement resulting from this RFP.
Equal Pay Certification
During the term of this Contract, the Consultant shall comply with Executive Order13 (2014), and the
Consultant shall make such records available, upon request, to Erie County's Division of Equal
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