Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Safety, on behalf of the Division of Fire, to enter into a contract with and issue a purchase order to ESO Solutions, Inc. for software integration and licensing. The contract is necessary to provide Fire Incident Reporting via ESO's cloud-based software for the period covering December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024. This contract will provide incident reporting coverage until the current Request For Proposal (RFP) process is completed which solicits a replacement system. A waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code, Chapter 329 is necessary for this purchase to accommodate the RFP process.
This software platform provides for the Fire Division's incident reporting needs, with each of the approximately 170,000 calls for service taken per year requiring an incident report. These reports are maintained as a records database, and must be retained as permanent records. These incident reports are sent to the US Fire Administration and the Ohio Fire Marshal as mandated by Federal and State requirements. In addition to these incident reports, this software platform manages all inspections conducted by the Columbus Fire Prevention Bureau, which total approximately 35,000 occupancies annually; accompanying the inspections are the issuance of fire permits, which generates $1.5M of revenue for the City annually.
Contract Compliance: ESO Solutions, Inc. (#36-4566209) - (Vendor #023932)
Emergency Designation: This legislation is to be declared an emergency measure to allow for the immediate purchase of these software services until the RFP process is complete.
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance authorizes the expenditure of $110,508.75 from the General Fund for this expenditure. A total of $101,432.00 has been in 2022 for Fire Incident Reporting software services with ESO Solutions. In 2021 and 2020, the Fire Division spent $21,132.00 for these services in both years.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Safety, on the behalf of the Division of Fire, to enter into a contract with and issue a purchase order to ESO Solutions' Inc. for Fire Incident Reporting software integration and licensing; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code; to authorize the expenditure of $110,508.75 from the general fund; and to declare an emergency. ($110,508.75)
Body
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the expenditure necessary to modify and extend the current contract with ESO for continued NFIRS Fire Incident Reporting software management; and,
WHEREAS, the continuation of the existing ESO software platform is necessary until the RFP process takes place to solicit a new version for Fire Incident reporting; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes, Chapter 329; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into a contract with and issue a purchase order to ESO Solutions to purchase the aforementioned replacement software integration and licensing for the City of Columbus Fire Division, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with and issue a purchase order to ESO Solutions in the amount of $110,508.75, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the purchase of Fire Incident Reporting software integration and licensing on behalf of the Columbus Division of Fire.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the competitive bidding equipment provisions of the Columbus City Code, Chapter 329, relating to the aforementioned purchase.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $110,508.75, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the aforementioned purchase, be and is hereby authorized from the General Fund, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten (10) days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.