"Bio-surveillance" in the 'Couv
Ever since we signed up to be kept abreast by e-mail of many of the bid solicitations being pumped out by the City of Portland, we've learned all sorts of interesting stuff. But here's a no-bid notice from the city that we're having trouble processing:
Procurement Description: On behalf of UASI Grant #UA07-0164, the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) requires the enhancement and upgrade of the FirstWatch software application as currently being used by Clark County CRESA.Our questions start with why Portland is posting this notice, since it has to do with Clark County, Washington. But more importantly, exactly what does this program do, why are the taxpayers buying it, and how much is it costing?Justification: In August, 2006 the Clark County Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase of a software application and annual maintenance for FirstWatch Software, a bio-surveillance tool. In January, 2007 CRESA entered into a software license agreement with FirstWatch Solutions, Inc. for an early warning software product that provides realtime live computer aided dispatch (CAD) data monitoring for an anomalies that indicate increased activity of specific preidentified medical conditions. The software license, upgrade, and interface are required in order to allow for additional custom reporting. FirstWatch is the single contractor/supplier for the FirstWatch software and the proposed project requires use of the current provider in order to utilize the pre-existing knowledge of the existing contractor regarding the specifics of the hardware and software system.
UPDATE, 4/26, 10:35 a.m.: A reader provides some helpful additional information here.
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Comments (5)
Mayor Adams has been the champion of NO sole-source contracts....unless the contract is in his portfolio (city mgr.'s office in most cities).
Didn't Amanda also campaign on this issue?
Posted by mary Volm | April 25, 2010 10:12 PM
This one's really curious, as it isn't even a City of Portland contract.
There have been plenty of no-bid Portland contracts in the months that I've been watching these things. Including Mayor Creepy's famous food scrap recycling -- just the latest in a string.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 25, 2010 10:24 PM
How about software that looks for unusual biological occurances (eg Increase in the number of cases of a specific disease; the start of an epidemic, natural or created). And Portland just may be tied in with Clark County Emergency services including paying for this.
Posted by Don | April 26, 2010 12:28 AM
How about it? That could very well be it. Even so, how much does it cost, is it worth it, and why hasn't the average member of the public ever heard about it?
Posted by Jack Bog | April 26, 2010 12:35 AM
I suspect Portland is the regional primary grantee for the federal Urban Area Security Intiative (UASI) money. Portland doles out the goodies to the smaller jurisdictions, such as Vancouver.
Posted by Frank | April 26, 2010 5:41 AM