Aurora considers new $4 million public safety dispatch, records software

Chicago Tribune

15 hours ago

The city of Aurora is considering buying new dispatch and records management software for its public safety departments for just over $4 million.
Through the proposed five-year contract with Mark43, Inc. of New York, Aurora would be replacing its Computer Aided Dispatch system used by both the fire and police departments as well as its Records Management System used just by the police. The $4.02 million price tag includes replacements for both systems as well as any work needed to interface the new software with others the city has.
That's according to Aurora Police Cmdr. Bryan Handell, who presented the proposal to the Aurora City Council's Information and Technology Committee late last month. The proposal was unanimously recommended for approval by the committee, so now it is set to go before the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.
During his presentation, Handell called the software 'probably the most vital system for public safety.'
The Computer Aided Dispatch system, also called CAD, is used to dispatch and track calls for service not only for Aurora's police and fire departments but also for the North Aurora Police Department and the Fox Valley Park District Police Department, according to Handell's presentation.
He said that police officers and firefighters use a mobile version to get those calls for service plus see additional information such as notes taken by the dispatcher and location data.
The other part of the software, the Records Management System, or RMS, is just for the police department, Handell said. The police and fire departments' records systems need to be kept separate, he said, because they each contain different types of sensitive information.
Aurora's current CAD and police RMS systems are from Hexagon, but that software is at the end of its life and will no longer be supported in the near future because the company is looking for its customers to buy its latest software instead, according to Handell. Plus, he said many of the features promised in the initial contract with Hexagon were never provided or did not work to the city's standards.
A survey of police employees also showed that nearly 80% of those who responded were 'very or somewhat dissatisfied' with the system, over 85% wanted the department to look at other options and over 30% could not find one thing they liked about the current system, Handell's presentation showed.
'Officers have to use this daily for responding to calls, writing reports, and it's not something that they enjoy using,' he said. 'It's not making their job easier.'
Over the past 10 years of using the software, the city has spent around $8 million on it, which includes a $5 million initial purchase price, according to Handell.
Since the city would have to buy new software even if it stayed with Hexagon, and since 'we're already unhappy' with that company, 'why would we re-sign with them?' Handell asked.
Instead, 'let's see what the market has to offer,' he said.
The city asked for proposals for new CAD and RMS systems in 2024, and 10 companies responded — but not Hexagon, according to Handell. He said those 10 companies were eventually narrowed down to just two options through multiple rounds of demos, and using Mark43 for both CAD and RMS stood out as both the better and least-expensive option.
In addition to its 'significantly-lower price' as compared to the other option, Mark43's offerings had a modern, user-friendly design and a seamless integration between CAD and RMS, which may have been more difficult with the other option since it would involve buying the CAD and RMS systems from two different companies, Handell said.
Plus, with just one vendor instead of two, updates and maintenance to the software would be easier, not causing potential integration issues like if the two systems were from different companies, he said.
Unlike Hexagon, Mark43 is focused just on public safety software, according to Handell. Other departments across the country are using the company, too, including in places like Washington, D.C., and Seattle, Washington, his presentation showed.
The proposed five-year contract with Mark43 for its software is fully funded, he said, through budgeted IT funds as well as 911 surcharge funds and police asset forfeiture funds.
If the proposal passes through the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, it will then go before the Aurora City Council for final approval. The next City Council meeting is on Aug. 12.
If the contract is approved, then starts the 'lengthy process' of converting data and implementing the new software, according to a staff report about the proposal included with the upcoming Committee of the Whole agenda on the city's website.
While that integration process is going on, public safety staff still need to use the current software, the report said. So, later this year staff are expected to ask City Council to extend the city's maintenance and licensing agreement with Hexagon.