Police Radio System Assessment and Recommendation

City of San Bruno
RFQ: Environmental Justice, Open Space Element
Request for Proposals
POLICE DEPARTMENT LAND MOBILE RADIO SYSTEM ASSESSMENT,
P25 COMPATIBLE REPLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND LTE
BACKHAUL EVALUATION & RECOMMENDATION
Issue Date: April 16, 2026
Responses Due: June 3, 2026 at 4:00pm
City of San Bruno
City Manager's Office 567 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
City Manager's Office
citymanager@sanbruno.ca.gov

City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
City Background
The City San of Bruno ("City") is a general law city founded in 1914 as a railroad suburb to San Francisco.
The city experienced steady growth from its inception until World War II, when the influx of military
personnel spurred rapid expansion. Following the post-war housing boom, San Bruno's population
reached approximately 35,000 by the 1960s. Growth has since slowed, with the population now standing
at around 43,000 as of 2024. Located in northern San Mateo County, just west of San Francisco
International Airport (SFO), San Bruno spans roughly 5.5 square miles. It extends 3.5 miles from the
relatively flat eastern areas along Highway 101 to the hilly western neighborhoods on the eastern slopes
of the Coast Range, rising nearly 1,200 feet in elevation. The eastern portion is more urbanized with a mix
of land uses, while the western part is primarily low-density residential and open space. Key transportation
corridors include Highways 101, 280, and 380, El Camino Real, and the Caltrain and BART rail lines.
The San Bruno Police Department ("Department") is a full-service law enforcement agency providing
patrol, investigations, dispatch and communications, traffic safety, school resource, community
engagement, and administrative support functions. The Department has 72 merit and 10 part time
employees and is led by Chief Matt Lethin.
Project Background
The City of San Bruno relies on mission-critical radio communications to support police operations and
coordinate, as needed, with other police employees, the fire department, mutual aid partners, neighboring
jurisdictions, county resources, and other regional public safety stakeholders.
The San Bruno Police Department currently operates a single-band T-Band LMR system in the 470-512
MHz UHF frequency range. The current system design uses six-voted receiver sites, with one primary
transmit location (with a backup transmitter at another location). The current system is not encrypted to
meet CJIS/FBI security needs and is constrained by limited operational capacity, aging infrastructure, and
interoperability limitations. The City seeks a future-state system that better supports secure public safety
communications, increased system capacity, disaster resilience, and interoperability with agencies and
systems that are not operating on T-Band frequencies.
The City is issuing this Request for Proposals to obtain a thorough assessment of the current environment
and practical recommendations regarding replacement options, implementation considerations, lifecycle
costs, and future interoperability strategy.
Request for Proposal
The City of San Bruno is soliciting proposals from qualified firms with demonstrated expertise in public
safety communications, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, Project 25 (P25) system design, mobile data
network design/deployment in a high viability environment, interoperability planning, and communications
infrastructure strategy to assess the City's current radio communications environment and develop
recommendations for a replacement solution.
1.0 Project Overview
The purpose of this RFP is to obtain proposals from qualified firms to provide a comprehensive review of
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
the City's current radio communications system and to develop a recommended replacement strategy
centered on a P25 capable radio solution.
The selected consultant or vendor shall assess the current system, identify deficiencies and risks, evaluate
future operational needs, and present a replacement or modernization strategy that includes, at a
minimum:
1. A current system overview and assessment.
2. Including current and projected over the next 5-7 years workload/needs assessment.
3. A recommended P25-capable replacement solution.
4. Evaluation of encryption implementation considerations.
5. Potential capacity improvements over the current single-band T-Band system.
6. Interoperability options for communication with other regional systems, including systems outside
the T-Band environment.
7. Consideration of an LTE-only backhauled communications plan.
2.0 Project Objectives
* Assess the current single-band T-Band, non-encrypted radio system and identify technical, operational,
security, and lifecycle limitations.
* Develop a replacement strategy for a P25-compliant LMR system.
* Increase operational capacity to support daily operations, planned events, critical incidents, and mutual
aid operations.
* Improve interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions, county systems, regional public safety
communications systems, and mutual aid partners.
* Evaluate how the City can communicate with other area radio systems during disasters, regional
emergencies, or mutual aid incidents, including systems that are not operating on T-Band.
* Evaluate encryption requirements and recommend an appropriate implementation approach.
* Assess coverage, capacity, redundancy, resiliency, and failover requirements.
* Evaluate transport and backhaul alternatives, including LTE-only backhaul.
* Provide implementation, migration, and lifecycle cost projections.
* Evaluate the current mobile data transmission environment and provide recommendations for
implementing a multi-source connection to LTE/other data providers.
* Deliver practical, implementation-ready recommendations that support strategic decision-making.
3.0 Scope of Services
A. Existing System Overview and Assessment
At a minimum, the proposer shall provide a detailed overview and assessment of the City's existing
radio communications environment, including:
* Existing radio system architecture and topology.
* Current operation as a single T-Band system.
* Current lack of encryption and resulting operational and security considerations.
* Existing frequencies, channels, licensing, and regulatory considerations.
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
* Existing channel capacity and operational constraints.
* Ability or inability of the current system to support communications outside the T-Band
environment.
* Fixed infrastructure, including repeaters, sites, shelters, antenna systems, combiners, UPS systems,
generators, environmental systems, microwave, fiber, IP transport, or other supporting
infrastructure.
* Dispatch console environment and related interfaces.
* Subscriber fleet assessment, including portable radios, mobile radios, control stations, and
accessories.
* Coverage performance, dead spots, in-building limitations, and geographic constraints.
* Capacity, grade of service, and future growth limitations.
* Redundancy, resiliency, failover capability, and single points of failure.
* Interoperability with neighboring agencies, county systems, fire and EMS partners, and regional
mutual aid systems.
* Maintenance condition, manufacturer support status, lifecycle position, and obsolescence risks.
* Cybersecurity and network management considerations, where applicable.
* Risks associated with maintaining the existing single T-Band architecture in a changing regional
communications environment.
The assessment shall specifically identify limitations of the current system as they relate to capacity,
encryption, interoperability, disaster communications, and communications with agencies operating on
non-T-Band systems.
B. P25-Compliant Replacement Solution
At a minimum, the proposer shall develop and present a replacement or modernization solution that
includes:
* A P25 capable replacement solution.
* Recommended future-state system architecture and design.
* Increased operational capacity sufficient to support current operations, future growth, critical incidents,
and mutual aid demands.
* Encryption-capable infrastructure and subscriber strategy.
* Recommended encryption framework and implementation considerations.
* Coverage and capacity assumptions.
* Redundancy and resiliency design.
* Dispatch integration and interoperability planning.
* Subscriber replacement strategy for portable, mobile, and control station radios.
* Migration strategy from the current single-band T-Band system to the proposed future-state system.
* Phased implementation options.
* Training, maintenance, support, and lifecycle planning.
* Capital cost estimates and long-term cost of ownership estimates.
At least one proposed option must be a fully P25-capable replacement solution suitable for public safety
operations.
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
C. Interoperability and Disaster Communications
The proposer shall specifically address how the proposed solution will improve the Police Department's
ability to communicate during disasters, regional emergencies, and mutual aid incidents. At a minimum,
proposals shall address:
* Interoperability with surrounding local, county, regional, and state public safety radio systems.
* Communications options with agencies operating on non-T-Band systems.
* Mutual aid communications strategy.
* Cross-band, multi-band, ISSI, CSSI, gateway, console patching, or other interoperability methods, as
applicable.
* Subscriber equipment recommendations required to support interoperability and disaster
operations.
* Whether the proposed system design supports continued operations when local infrastructure is
degraded or unavailable.
* Limitations, dependencies, and risks associated with the proposed interoperability model.
D. LTE-Only Backhauled Communications Plan
At a minimum, the proposer shall evaluate and include consideration of an LTE-only backhauled
communications plan, including:
* Description of an LTE-only backhaul architecture.
* Mobile Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network design considerations, including architecture, device
connectivity, carrier integration, and field deployment assumptions.
* LTE network connection hardening measures, including resiliency, security controls, authentication,
segmentation, failover, and protection against unauthorized access or service disruption.
* Whether LTE-only backhaul can adequately support a P25 capable radio solution.
* Reliability, resiliency, latency, bandwidth, and performance considerations.
* Carrier dependency risks and continuity-of-service considerations.
* Coverage limitations and geographic risk factors.
* Disaster, outage, and congestion-event performance considerations.
* Cybersecurity considerations.
* Priority service and preemption assumptions, if applicable.
* Redundancy options for LTE-only designs.
* Comparison against traditional backhaul and hybrid transport approaches.
* Appropriate and inappropriate use cases for LTE-only backhaul.
* Cost implications, including recurring carrier and service costs.
The proposer shall clearly state whether LTE-only backhaul is recommended as a primary, secondary,
contingency, or limited-use transport model for the City's future P25 capable system.
E. Comparative Analysis
* Sustainment of the existing system versus replacement.
* Conventional versus trunked approaches, if applicable.
* Traditional backhaul versus LTE-only backhaul.
* Hybrid transport approaches.
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
* Relative benefits, limitations, and risks of each option.
* Operational impacts, implementation complexity, and lifecycle cost implications.
3.1 QUESTIONS PROPOSERS MUST ADDRESS
* How will your team assess the current operational and technical limitations of the City's single-band T-Band
system?
* How will you evaluate the City's migration from a non-encrypted environment to an encrypted P25-
compliant environment?
* What P25 architecture do you recommend and why?
* How does your proposed solution increase operational capacity for daily operations, major incidents, and
mutual aid events?
* How will the proposed solution be fiscally sustainable?
* How will your proposed system allow the City to communicate with surrounding agencies and systems that
are not operating on T-Band?
* What interoperability methods do you recommend for disaster and regional emergency communications?
* What subscriber, console, gateway, or network components would be required to support cross-system or
cross-band interoperability?
* What are the limitations or dependencies of your proposed interoperability model?
* Can an LTE-only backhaul model adequately support a P25 public safety radio network, and under what
conditions?
* What operational or technical risks should the City consider if it pursues LTE-only backhaul?
4.0 Deliverables
* Project work plan and schedule.
* Existing system assessment report.
* P25 replacement options analysis.
* Interoperability and disaster communications findings.
* LTE-only backhaul evaluation.
* Mobile LTE network design memorandum or equivalent technical section within the final report.
* LTE network connection hardening recommendations and implementation considerations.
* Final recommendation report.
* Budgetary cost estimate and total cost of ownership summary.
* Executive presentation for City leadership and project stakeholders.
All deliverables shall be provided in editable electronic format and PDF.
5.0 Project Timeline and Milestones
The City desires the project be completed as quickly as possible. Key milestones include:
* Issuance of RFP on April 16, 2026
* Proposals due to the City on June 3, 2026
* Selection and agreement by June 24, 2026
* Project kickoff meeting and finalization of interview schedule in July, 2026
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
* Consultant performs necessary site visits, interviews, or review of data.
* Analysis of findings and drafting of initial reports.
* Submission of draft final report to City staff for review and comment by October, 2026.
* Incorporation of feedback and submission of final report by November, 2026.
6.0 City Responsibilities
The City will provide the following support to the consultant:
* Existing system documentation and inventory, if available.
* Available maintenance records and vendor information.
* Radio site access, as authorized.
* Dispatch stakeholders and operational users.
* Existing subscriber count information, if available.
* Available interoperability requirements or mutual aid information.
The selected proposer shall identify any additional information needed to complete the project.
7.0 Consultant Qualifications
The ideal consultant will have:
* Demonstrated experience in public safety communications systems and infrastructure.
* Experience conducting Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system assessments and Project 25 (P25) planning.
* Experience developing interoperability strategies across multiple agencies, jurisdictions, and
communication platforms.
* Experience evaluating LTE-based and carrier-dependent backhaul solutions for mission-critical
communications.
* Experience in mobile Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network design for public safety or other mission-
critical environments.
* Experience strengthening LTE network reliability, including transport systems and security
architecture.
8.0 Budget
* Total Project Fee
Selection Process
The successful consultant(s) will be dependable, cost-effective, and provide consistent high-quality
support, meet expected turnaround times, and provide excellent internal and external customer service.
The RFP process will establish a ranking based on how each submittal meets requirements of the RFP.
The applicant shall conform to the RFP Format and Submittal Requirements (Attachment 1). It is important
that all listed items be included with the submission. Responses which do not comply with all the
requirements of the RFP will not be considered.
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
The consultant shall be required to complete and submit the City's Standard Consultant Services
agreement (Attachment 2), including the Standard Agreement Acknowledgement (Attachment 3), and
complete the Litigation and Criminal Investigation Form (Attachment 4). All Consultants that respond to
the RFQ shall assume that the execution of this agreement, without changes, will be a required condition.
Furthermore, the City reserves the right to reject any or all submissions without qualifications, negotiate
specific requirements and costs using the selected proposal as a basis, and waive any and all irregularities
to choose the firm which, in the City's opinion, best serves the City's interests.
Selection Criteria
Consultant selection process will be based on the following criteria:
* Presentation, completeness, clarity, organization, and conformance to RFP content and
requirements.
* Demonstrated ability and specific experience in assessment and analysis of public safety radio
communication systems.
* Strength of written and verbal communication/presentation skills.
* Availability of resources to deliver quality products on schedule, including work and short notice,
and under time constraints.
* Qualifications and experience of the firm's key personnel.
* Demonstrated professional work examples with beginning and end dates of consultants' project
involvement.
* Clear Cost Proposal.
Additional Information for Consultants
Qualified firms responding to this RFP must focus their responses with specificity describing the expertise,
direct involvement, and experience of the team to be allocated for completing the services requested. If
there are any exceptions to the core of the requested services, the Consultant shall list said exceptions in
their Responses.
Timely monthly invoices will be required, using coding provided by the City.
This RFP does not commit the City to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of
submittals or to select any interested firms that respond.
Consultants are required to sign the Agreement to Consultant Services (attachment 2) and
Acknowledgement Form (attachment 3) upon selection for services.
Questions
Address responses to RFPs and questions to:
City Manager's Office
citymanager@sanbruno.ca.gov
Confidentiality of Responses
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
California Government Code Sections 62500 et seq. (the "California Public Records Act" or the "Act")
defines a public record as any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public
business. The Act provides that public records shall be disclosed upon written request and that any citizen
has a right to inspect any public record unless the document is exempted from disclosure. The City of San
Bruno, which is part of the County of San Mateo, is subject to the California Public Records Act.
Be advised that any contract that eventually arises from this RFP is a public record in its entirety. Also, all
information submitted in response to this RFP is itself a public record without exception. Submission of
any materials in response to this RFP constitutes a waiver by the submitting party of any claim that the
information is protected from disclosure. By submitting materials, (1) you are consenting to release of
such materials by the City of San Bruno if requested under the Public Records Act without further notice
to you and (2) you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City of San Bruno for release of such
information.
If the City of San Bruno receives a request for any portion of a document submitted in response to this
RFP, the City will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the person or entity submitting the
response, and the City reserves the right to disclose the requested materials without notice to the party
who originally submitted the requested material. To the extent consistent with the Public Records Act and
applicable case law interpreting those provisions, the City of San Bruno and/or its officers, agents, and
employees retain discretion to release or withhold any information submitted in response to this RFP.
Submission of a response constitutes a complete waiver of any claims whatsoever against the City of San
Bruno and/or its officers, agents, or employees that the City has violated a proposer's right to privacy,
disclosed trade secrets, or caused any damage by allowing the response to be inspected.
Attachments
* Attachment 1: RFP Format and Submittal Requirements
* Attachment 2: City Standard Consultant Agreement
* Attachment 3: Acknowledgement Form for Consultant Services Standard Agreement
* Attachment 4: Litigation and Criminal Investigation Form
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City of San Bruno RFP: Police Department Land Mobile Radio System Assessment, P25 Compatible
Replacement Recommendations, and LTE Backhaul Evaluation and Recommendation
Attachment 1 - RFP Format and Submission Requirements
Responses shall be submitted by: June 3, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. VIA EMAIL to:
Subject: [Police Radio RFP Submission] Your Firm Name
Attention: City Manager's Office
Email: citymanager@sanbruno.ca.gov
Qualified firms should respond to this RFP with all the items listed in this section.
1. Title Page. Include the following: RFP subject, name of bidding organization, primary contact person,
title, address, phone number, email address, and submittal date, type of organization.
2. Letter of Transmittal. Include a letter describing the Proposer's qualifications, a summary of the Bidder's
understanding of the project, projected total cost, and the proposed approach. Consultants/firms
submitting responses in response to this RFP must disclose any actual, apparent, direct or indirect, or
potential conflicts of interest that may exist concerning the firm, its management, employees, or other
persons relative to the services to be awarded pursuant to this RFP. If a team/firm has no conflicts of
interest, a statement to that effect shall be included in the cover letter. The page(s) inserted shall be clearly
marked Letter of Transmittal.
3. Table of Key Personnel and Rates. Identify the key individuals to be assigned to the project (by name
and position) and describe the role of each individual. The consultant must also provide experience
summaries of these key individuals, describing for each individual their previous experiences on similar
projects in similar roles, their educational background, and their length of tenure with the organization.
Provide resumes for each Key Personnel member (no more than one page per resume) and rate sheet.
4. Technical Approach
Describe the methodology for existing system review, stakeholder interviews, site inspections, engineering
and operational analysis, coverage and capacity evaluation, interoperability review, risk assessment, and
development of alternatives and recommendations.
5. Required Technical Response
This section is mandatory. Proposers must provide separate and clearly labeled responses addressing:
* Overview of Existing System and Assessment Approach.
* Recommended P25-Compliant Replacement Solution.
* Capacity Improvements Over the Existing Single T-Band System.
* Interoperability with Regional and Non-T-Band Systems, Including Disaster Communications.
* Encryption Capabilities and Migration Considerations.
* Consideration of an LTE-Only Backhauled Communication Plan.
* Mobile Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Network Design with a high viability outcome.
6. Project Schedule
Provide a proposed project timeline with milestones and completion dates.
7. Cost Proposal
Provide a detailed cost proposal, including professional services, travel if any, optional services, hourly rates
if applicable, assumptions and exclusions, and total not-to-exceed amount.
8. References. Provide an overview of the proposer's experience and history in performing this type of work
in California. Provide at least three references from local government clients for whom the consultant has
rendered similar services recently. Describe the organization's overall capabilities, structure, and the
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