Antenna, cell enhancement for emergency systems

By Dana Casadei

At the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, February 28, the board unanimously approved the purchase of a bi-directional amplifier antenna (BDA) and cell phone signal enhancement system (CPSES) for the township’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and department of public works. 

Fire Chief John LeRoy emphasized how much both are currently needed, and said the cell phone signal in the police training center and EOC isn’t great, and the WiFi is spotty at best. 

These purchases should greatly change that for the better.

After a grid study was performed by WZC Networking LLC, it was determined that the existing radio coverage in the EOC was insufficient with the accepted standards of the new Oakland County Emergency Radio System.

This wasn’t brand new information to the township, which had anticipated this would be the outcome and had already factored it into the EOC grant project. 

The purchase of the CPSES is a long time coming and will cost $14,933. The current system was a part of the original building and failed, and it’s been a three-year process to obtain a new one. 

While the bi-directional amplifier antenna will cost more – totaling $22,901 – it was something that the township was expecting to have to pay for, and will use the FEMA EOC grant already obtained. Through that grant, the 25 percent Bloomfield Township cost share of the BDA will be $5,725.25.

In total for both projects, the township will spend $37,834 and they will be purchased through WZC Networking LLC, the only quote for the BDA system. This cost is not only for the purchase but the installation of both the BDA and CPSES as well. 

LeRoy said that both will be installed at the same time and use the same wiring. The CPSES will actually plug into the BDA.

Due to both being installed at the same time, the township’s information technology department was able to negotiate a $1,832 savings without having to have quotes for two completely separate projects. 

Trustee Neal Barnett was not in attendance at the night’s meeting.