NLR Council OKs purchase of 4 sirens

$125,000 contract with local firm gets unanimous approval without discussion

North Little Rock will replace four nonworking emergency warning sirens by spring under a $125,000 contract unanimously approved without discussion Monday night by the City Council.

The agreement with SafetyCom Inc., a North Little Rock company, is for the purchase of four sirens. All of the city's remaining 12 outdoor sirens are to be replaced as funds are available over the next three years, according to the resolution.

The $125,000 is the amount approved in the 2016 budget passed by the City Council in December. Each siren costs $30,275, plus $600 each for shipping, or $123,500, plus taxes.

The city's emergency operations office discovered the four sirens weren't working properly in the fall during tests conducted each Wednesday, Rick Ezell, North Little Rock's emergency operations coordinator, said last week. It will take five to seven weeks for the sirens to be delivered and a few days to be installed, he said.

The goal is for the nonoperable sirens to be replaced before the next tornado season, Ezell said. Tornadoes most often occur in the state during the spring and fall, according to National Weather Service statistics.

The four sirens to be replaced are at the Central Fire Station at the intersection of Seventh and Maple streets; Fire Station No. 2, at 3700 E. Broadway; Fire Station No. 4, at 8723 Maumelle Blvd.; and Fire Station No. 9, at 2309 Osage St., according to Ezell.

The new system will be electronic, and the sirens' working order will be able to be checked remotely, rather than having to sound them, he said.

SafetyCom submitted the second-highest of five received bids. The recommendation stated that the company was the "lowest compliant" bidder, or the only bidder to meet all of the city's specifications, according to documents provided to the City Council.

The company has available parts stored locally, can be on-site for repair or maintenance needs within three hours and its siren system is compatible with the city's existing emergency radio system, according to the documents.

A representative of Chickasaw Personal Communications of Oklahoma City, the next-lowest bidder, said in an email provided to city aldermen at Monday's meeting that the company took "exception" to some information about its bid, which the email said contained several "factual misrepresentations." Aldermen didn't bring up the email at their meeting Monday.

Metro on 02/09/2016

Upcoming Events