Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement System Testing and Assessment

Location:	Oklahoma
Posted:	Aug 14, 2026
Due:	Sep 23, 2026
Agency:	City of Tulsa
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	J - Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment
Solicitation No:	RFP 27-701
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Attachment Preview

City of Tulsa

Finance Department

Request for Proposal

RFP 27-701

Professional Services for: Emergency Responder

Communication Enhancement System (ERCES) Testing and

Assessment

Department: Information Technology

NIGP Commodity Code(s): 918-00

RFP Schedule

EVENT

RFP Issue Date

DATE

08/14/2026

Pre-Proposal Conference

Virtual – email buyer for invite

Deadline for Questions

Submit to assigned buyer via email.

Proposal Due Date

Mail or deliver to City Clerk address. Proposals

are opened the day after the due date.

09/02/2026 at 9:30 am CDT

09/14/2026

10 Days prior to RFP due date

09/23/2026

If You have any questions or need additional information, contact the Assigned Buyer:

Samantha J. Toothaker, Senior Buyer | stoothaker@cityoftulsa.org

All questions should be emailed with RFP 27-701 on the subject line.

Submit proposals (sealed) to:

Office of the City Clerk

City of Tulsa

175 E. 2ND St.

Suite 260

Tulsa, OK 74103

RFP 27-701 | ERCES Testing and Assessment | Issue Date: 08/14/2026

I. OVERVIEW AND GOALS

With this Request for Proposal (RFP), the City of Tulsa (City) is soliciting proposals to secure

professional services to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the City Hall Emergency

Responder Communication Enhancement System (ERCES). The City is seeking an

independent, vendor-neutral engineering assessment only. The selected Respondent will

evaluate current system performance, assess compliance with the most current applicable

NFPA standards, and document any deficiencies that have contributed to, or may contribute

to, communication failures.

City’s commitment to the ERCES project is structured as a phased approach. The scope of

the initial phase, covered by this RFP, will consist of testing, diagnostics, engineering,

architectural evaluation, and reporting only. At the City’s sole discretion, and based on the

findings of the assessment phase, the City may elect to authorize additional phases of work,

which will be separately bid out, and may include system design, procurement support,

construction, and/or system installation services. The purpose of this specific procurement is

to establish an objective baseline understanding of the current system rather than prescribe

a predetermined solution or manufacturer.

Goals:

• Conduct a complete evaluation of the performance and reliability of the City Hall ERCES.

• Determine and document compliance for reliable emergency responder communications

essential to protecting personnel, supporting emergency operations, reducing operational

risk, and meeting applicable regulatory requirements, including NFPA standards.

• Identify, classify, and document system deficiencies or conditions that may result in

degraded performance or communication failures.

• Provide a defensible engineering and architectural analysis supported by testing and

diagnostic results that enable the City to make informed operational, regulatory, and

capital investment decisions.

• Deliver a comprehensive written report summarizing findings, risks, and potential remedial

pathways, including high-level options for system improvement or replacement.

• Provide sufficient documentation to support future phases, including design, procurement,

and implementation, if authorized by the City.

We enthusiastically look forward to receiving Your proposal.

RFP 27-701 | ERCES Testing and Assessment | Issue Date: 08/14/2026

II. BACKGROUND

The City of Tulsa depends on its Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement

System (ERCES) to provide reliable in‑building radio coverage for fire, police, and other public

safety personnel operating within City Hall. Reliable radio communication is essential to life

safety, effective emergency response, and compliance with the most current applicable NFPA

standards. Maintaining a functional ERCES supports broader City priorities in public safety,

risk mitigation, and the resilience of critical municipal infrastructure. This assessment is

intended to provide the City with an objective engineering understanding of the existing

ERCES. The results will support future decisions regarding system maintenance, potential

remediation, long-term capital planning, and any subsequent procurement activities

authorized by the City.

III. TIMELINE

The schedule below provides estimated dates for the RFP and contracting process. The

City of Tulsa may adjust this schedule as needed.

EVENT

DATE

RFP Issue Date

08/14/2026

Pre-Proposal Conference

09/02/2026

Deadline for Questions

09/14/2026

Addenda issued (if needed)

09/16/2026

PROPOSAL DUE DATE

09/23/2026

Begin proposal evaluations

09/24/2026

Interviews with Respondents – Virtual (anticipated)

Week of 10/05/2026

Proposal Award (anticipated)

10/15/2026

Negotiations with apparent successful Respondent begin (anticipated) 10/16/2026

Execute contract (anticipated)

11/04/2026

Begin service delivery (anticipated)

11/09/2026

RFP 27-701 | ERCES Testing and Assessment | Issue Date: 08/14/2026

IV. SCOPE OF WORK

The Respondent shall perform a comprehensive assessment of the City Hall Emergency

Responder Communication Enhancement System (ERCES) to overall system performance,

reliability, and operational readiness; verify compliance with the most current applicable NFPA

standards; and document deficiencies that contributed to or may contribute to communication

failures.

This assessment shall include evaluation of radio frequency (RF) performance, supporting

infrastructure, system survivability, and operational characteristics necessary to ensure

reliable in-building emergency communications.

The Respondent shall complete the following work:

A. In-Building ERCES Coverage and Performance Testing

The Respondent shall perform full in-building radio coverage testing across all levels of

City Hall, including:

• Grid pattern delivered audio quality (DAQ) testing for each floor

• Uplink and downlink signal strength measurements

• Testing in critical areas (stairwells, fire pump rooms, equipment rooms, elevators,

basements, command spaces)

• Identification of floor-specific and room-specific communication gaps

• Documentation of pass/fail results in accordance with the most current applicable

NFPA criteria

Testing shall follow industry-standard practices and be conducted using calibrated

equipment, with calibration records available upon request.

B. RF Signal Source and Propagation Evaluation

The Respondent shall evaluate RF conditions relevant to ERCES performance, including:

• Donor signal strength and quality

• Noise floor measurements

• Interference or competing RF sources

• Propagation behavior within structural elements of the building

• Multi path, attenuation, and shielding impacts

C. Infrastructure and Component Assessment

The Respondent shall visually inspect ERCES-related components, including:

• Antennas, coaxial cabling, junctions, couplers, and splitters

• Any existing bi-directional amplifiers (BDAs), amplifiers, donor antennas, and

associated infrastructure

• Power supplies, backup power, and grounding

• Riser pathways and equipment rooms associated with ERCES

• ERCES monitoring and alarm interfaces (if present), including system fault notification

capabilities

RFP 27-701 | ERCES Testing and Assessment | Issue Date: 08/14/2026

• Equipment enclosure protection, environmental conditions, and code-required

hardening (e.g., National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) ratings, fire

protection)

• Pathway survivability characteristics (e.g., fire-rated cabling, routing separation,

protection levels), to the extent observable

• Review available system documentation, including drawings acceptance test records,

maintenance logs, inspection reports, and other available records, and compare the

documented system with observed field conditions

This assessment is non-invasive and intended to document condition, configuration,

observable deficiencies, or irregular installation. The Consultant shall not modify, adjust,

or place the current system into an out-of-service condition without prior written approval

from the City.

D. Engineering Analysis and Coverage Modeling

The Respondent shall provide an engineering evaluation sufficient to support subsequent

procurement scoping, including:

• RF heat maps and coverage visualization

• Comparison of measured vs. expected performance

• Identification of signal shadows, dead zones, and inconsistent propagation patterns

• Root cause determination (e.g., donor signal quality, system layout, equipment

condition, building materials)

• Evaluation of system scalability, maintainability, and alignment with current ERCES

design practices

• Identification of architectural constraints that may impact future system expansion,

modification, or integration

Analyses must be presented in forms usable by both technical and non-technical City staff.

E. Compliance Verification

The Respondent shall verify ERCES performance against the most current applicable

NFPA requirements, including:

• Minimum signal strength

• Minimum coverage percentage thresholds

• DAQ performance

• Critical area compliance

• Pathway survivability (to the extent verifiable through testing and non-invasive

observation)

• Evaluation of compliance with ERCES system monitoring, alarming, and supervisory

requirements (where applicable)

• Identification of any gaps between installed system characteristics and the most

current applicable NFPA standards (including legacy system considerations)

Any areas where compliance cannot be confirmed shall be clearly identified.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid ID:	RFP 27-701
Addendum:	0
Bid Due Date:	9/23/2026
Description:	Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement System Testing and Assessment
Bid Document:	RFP 27-701 ERCES Testing and Assessment.pdf
Attachments:

Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement System Testing and Assessment

Attachment Preview

See also