Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Information Systems

TO:	David Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	James Wisdom, Director of Information Technology
CC:	Sean Sloan, Finance Department Purchasing Specialist Mark Bradford, Fire Chief
DATE:	October 29, 2014
RE:	Video Conferencing

Background

In 2012, the Fire Medical Department received an Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) that funded department wide video conferencing.  This project included infrastructure to accommodate additional city use.  This request is to upgrade the existing audio visual equipment in the Jayhawk and McSwain Meeting Rooms in Fire Medical Administration. 

The ability to video conference in a live classroom setting will enhance and provide greater efficiencies of city resources.  In addition, to the fire medical uses, other city departments will have the opportunity for video conference training sessions from an outside source in one of two meeting spaces.

As you are aware, in February 2008, the Department was awarded accreditation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. As part of the accreditation process, the following recommendation regarding Station Video Conferencing was made:

The existing technology should be capitalized by the Department. The fire stations are already networked together so the use of video and conference telecommunicating should be explored. This allows for partial decentralization of current training deliveries and more important, accomplishes training while keeping fire resources in the communities they are responsible to protect. (8C.1)

The ability to build on the current video conferencing system in place at fire medical allows us to bring a higher quality and greater quantity of education and training to a larger city audience. The evolving role of all city departments requires daily interaction with other departments and agencies. Rising costs and decreasing budgets make this interaction a challenge.

Action Requests

Information Technology recommends the City Commission authorize the upgrade of video conferencing in Fire Medical Administration’s Jayhawk Room and McSwain Room, and approve the purchase of equipment for the upgrade to SKC Communications, for $53,131.30 using Fire Department funds, utilizing the State of Kansas’ video conferencing contract 36842.