Backup Call Handling Equipment (CHE) Solution for the Consolidated 9-1-1 Dispatch Center

Summary (Newest Update)

Background Charleston County is seeking turnkey backup Call Handling Equipment (CHE) solutions from firms with proven experience in failover systems to support the operational and public safety needs of the County. This Request for Information (RFI) aims to gather details regarding available technologies, system capabilities, deployment models, and vendor experience to inform a potential future procurement process. Work Details The RFI requests detailed information on the following: 1. **System Overview:** Description of the backup call handling solution, architecture (on-premises, cloud-native, hybrid), supported standards (e.g., NG9-1-1, SIP, NENA i3), operational readiness (cold standby, warm standby, active/active load sharing), connectivity to ESInets or carriers, and failover processes. 2. **Functional Capabilities:** Call handling features (routing, transfer, conferencing), support for voice/text-to-911/multimedia communications, GIS/location services integration, CAD system integration capabilities, audio logging integration, and hardware support requirements. 3. **Redundancy and Failover:** Automatic failover capabilities and recovery time objectives, geographic redundancy options, data synchronization with primary systems. 4. **Deployment and Implementation:** Implementation approach and timeline, required infrastructure and dependencies, migration strategy from existing systems. 5. **Security and Compliance:** Cybersecurity features and certifications; compliance with CJIS and HIPAA; data encryption; unique user logon; multifactor administration access; audit logging; incident response responsibilities; patching and vulnerability remediation. 6. **Maintenance and Support:** Ongoing support model and SLAs; system monitoring capabilities; software updates management. 7. **Cost Structure:** High-level pricing model (capital vs subscription), licensing structure, estimated total cost of ownership. 8. **Vendor Qualifications:** Company background and experience; relevant deployments especially in PSAPs of similar size. Period of Performance This RFI is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a formal procurement timeline or commitment to issue an RFP. Place of Performance Charleston County Public Safety Dispatch Centers located in Charleston County. Bidder Requirements Vendors should demonstrate their ability to provide a scalable CAD platform capable of supporting current operations while allowing for future expansion to additional public safety partners and agencies.