Appendix 4-CAD Technical Requirements Response Form.pdf

Appendix 4: Technical Requirements Response

RFP: 354-PD27-07

Project Title: Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Replacement Project

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS RESPONSE

Cary expects the CAD system to satisfy the capabilities described in the Use Cases in Appendix #7 (CAD Use Cases (Demo Scenarios)) and meet the detailed Functional and Non-Functional requirements described in Appendix #3 (CAD Detailed Requirements).

For Appendix 4 (this Form), the Vendor is required to provide a narrative response to each of the items listed and, where relevant and appropriate, provide any diagrams, screenshots, or other visual information to support the narrative response. The objective of the information provided in this document is to gain some specific insight into the Vendor’s proposal and their perspectives as it relates to priority domains and technical attributes associated with the Vendor’s proposed solution.

1 Alignment with CAD guiding principles

1.1. Describe how the proposed Solution aligns with Cary’s CAD Guiding Principles, specifically as presented below:

Equitable Service. The CAD approach must deliver equitable services to all PSAPs and their users.

Scalability. The CAD must be flexible enough to be able to scale to meet surges in demand for scenarios such as regional emergency situations or natural disasters.

Enhanced User Experience. The CAD must promote user experience efficiencies, provide the most appropriate/informed decision-making capabilities, including dynamic dispatching of predetermined customized responses, reduce the risk of human error, and enhance the user experience.

Enhanced Navigation. The CAD must deliver accurate real-time mapping capabilities, eliminating the need for manual validation and enabling timely turn-by-turn navigation.

Enhanced Situational Awareness. The CAD must provide the ability to view multijurisdictional responses, closest unit capable response, provide situational data on facility premise needs, provide up-to-date weather statistics, and provide live status capabilities of on-scene assets and personnel.

CAD Independence. The CAD will provide a set of common capabilities for all PSAPs, without constraining a PSAP’s local CAD strategy. The CAD must afford the capability to work remotely without any degradation to user capability.

The adoption of the CAD will be considered optional for regionalized PSAP optimization, aligning with Cary’s strategy for enhanced interoperability.

Integration and Interoperability. The CAD must enable interconnectivity between as many Public Safety PSAPs as possible to provide the required capabilities to best achieve scalable regionalized interoperability capabilities.

Bi-Directional Communication. The CAD must allow bi-directional communication between multiple PSAPs and CAD platforms while complying with existing operational controls and tiered response agreements. CAD-to-CAD transfers should be fast, reliable, secure, and maintain a consistent, compatible format, allowing additional interfaces to be added as required.

Feasibility and Scalability. The CAD system must be realistically achievable, meet the fundamental needs of each of the PSAP stakeholders, and enable future business requirements to be met with a flexible solution architecture that provides for greater mobility and scalability.

Optimal Security. The CAD must incorporate cybersecurity mechanisms to meet requisite security and trust standards for PSAPs and stakeholder access and data exchange.

Affordability. The CAD must be affordable and cost-efficient for Cary’s PSAP and each of the Stakeholders.

Resilience and Robustness. The CAD must be designed for resilience to ensure minimal business disruptions. It should maintain system continuity by meeting network access requirements and providing both cloud-capable and infrastructural redundancies.

Change-Friendly. The CAD adoption must not disrupt current operations and minimize change management requirements. The CAD must also allow for the adjustment of nature codes, response planning, and predictive structure parameters.

Capability Optimization. The CAD may leverage any proposed cloud optimization capabilities to ensure efficiency and high levels of performance, should Vendor wish to propose any aspects of cloud as a part of the solution.

2 Data

2.1 Data must be fully accessible and extractable by the Town at any time, without vendor intervention, in non-proprietary, machine-readable formats (e.g., JSON, CSV, XML, Parquet). The Vendor must describe:

Real-time data access capabilities (e.g., APIs, streaming interfaces)

Bulk export capabilities, including frequency and performance characteristics

Availability of a complete and current data dictionary and schema documentation

Any limitations, restrictions, throttling, or additional costs associated with data access or export

2.2 CAD is expected to share/send data with other CAD systems and, therefore, is the transport mechanism and is responsible for the translation of certain data (such as type/nature codes, addresses).

The system shall support sending CAD events to third-party CAD systems. The Town is currently using CentralSquare OneSolution 25.1.0.2042. The system must support the town also utilizing CentralSquare’s Unify hub to pass calls to the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center and vice versa.

Vendor must include and describe:

o Supported interoperability standards (e.g., NIEM, NENA i3, EDXL) and versions o Average and maximum latency for inter-system data exchange o Data validation, reconciliation, and error-handling mechanisms o Monitoring, alerting, and reporting capabilities for failed or delayed transactions

2.3 CAD is expected to share/send data with Axon Records and the ESO Fire Reporting system and, therefore, is the transport mechanism and is responsible for the translation of certain data types.

Describe how the CAD system ensures that the correct predefined data can be effectively and accurately sent in a format that is reliable and consistent to meet reporting and compliance requirements

Describe guaranteed delivery mechanisms and retry logic

Describe the data mapping and transformation approach

Describe auditability and traceability of all transactions

CAD is expected to interface with external data sources and seamlessly ingest the relevant information, formatting it appropriately to populate within the calls for service information accurately.

3 Technology Ecosystem

3.1 The CAD system must support loosely coupled integrations using industry-standard middleware and integration patterns. The Vendor must describe:

All middleware/platforms used (e.g., Azure Integration Services, MuleSoft, proprietary tools)

Whether such platforms are vendor-proprietary or widely adopted industry solutions

The ability for the Town to independently develop, maintain, and extend integrations

Licensing implications and any additional costs associated with integration platforms

3.2 The underlying technology stack used to develop the CAD must be proven. The Vendor must provide details demonstrating the maturity and stability of the technology stack, including:

Years in production of the core platform

Number of active production CAD customers on the current version

Release frequency over the past three (3) years

Technology roadmap (3–5 years), including planned upgrades or deprecations.

4 Solution Components

4.1 Provide a diagram with a supporting overview of the overall proposed CAD system architecture, including components and dependencies. Describe how the components interact with one another and where, if any, risks or single points of failure may exist. The architecture diagram should provide a high-level visual representation of the hosting model. The architecture diagram must clearly identify:

Hosting model (SaaS, Vendor-Hosted, or On-Premise)

Cloud provider(s), regions, and data residency strategy (if applicable)

Ownership and operational responsibility boundaries

All external dependencies and third-party services

Identification of any single points of failure

5 Solution Sizing

5.1 Describe how the proposed CAD system is sized and specified to achieve target service levels/performance targets. This response should focus on the technical design and engineering capabilities of the system to achieve performance targets. For Cloud or Vendor-Hosted solutions, the Vendor must describe:

Auto-scaling capabilities and thresholds

Maximum supported concurrent users and transactions

Performance benchmarks under peak load conditions

Whether the solution is multi-tenant or single-tenant, and associated performance implications

5.2 Vendor must provide an accurate and comprehensive set of minimum specs for any and all technology they assume the Town will need to provide.

5.3 Describe how the system’s recommended sizing specifications support optimal growth in response to ongoing municipal expansion and agency consolidation.

5.4 Describe the Operating System(s) proposed to run on servers and any other relevant solution components.

5.5 Describe the proposed hosting model including:

SaaS, Vendor-Hosted (single or multi-tenant), or On-Premise deployment

Cloud provider(s) and regions used

Data residency and sovereignty considerations

Responsibilities for infrastructure management, patching, and monitoring

Options available to transition between hosting models (if applicable)

Provide a detailed explanation of how your architectural design incorporates resilience and redundancy

6 Hardware/Sizing (If Applicable)

6.1 Describe the number of servers, as well as the size and specifications that will be required to achieve target service levels/performance targets. (For Cloud solutions, describe how the solution is designed to achieve target service levels/performance targets).

6.2 Vendor must provide an accurate and comprehensive set of minimum specs for any and all technology they assume the Town will need to provide.

6.3 Describe how the system’s recommended sizing specifications support optimal growth in response to ongoing municipal expansion and agency consolidation.

6.4 Describe the Operating System(s) proposed to run on servers and any other relevant solution components.

6.5 Describe the proposed hosting model for the solution.

6.6 Provide a detailed explanation of how your architectural design incorporates resilience and redundancy.

7 Cloud Hosting and Data Ownership (If Applicable)

7.1 Describe the cloud architecture in detail, including multi-tenancy model, data isolation approach, and performance isolation mechanisms.

7.2 Describe data ownership rights, including:

Confirmation that all data is owned by the Town

Vendor rights (if any) to use, store, or process data

7.3 Describe the data exit strategy specifically in the context of contract termination, system replacement, or transition to another vendor. Describe the data exit strategy, including:

Full data extraction process and timelines

Formats provided

Costs associated with data retrieval

Vendor transition support obligations upon termination

7.4 Describe the product release strategy at a product/platform level, including how often new versions of the CAD system are made available and how customers are expected to adopt them, such as:

Frequency of updates

Customer ability to control or defer updates

Impact of updates on integrations and configurations

8 Deployment

8.1 Describe your approach to implementing patches/fixes, minor and major upgrades to CAD, and any sub-components, after the initial release (CAD ‘go-live’). This response should focus on how releases are operationally implemented within the Town environment after go-live.

8.2 Maintenance windows should be minimized for major changes, while minor changes should not require planned downtime. The Town favors solutions that support a maintenance model where changes can be rolled out to users without taking the system offline. For major changes, where this is not feasible, the maintenance windows should be minimized and predictable. Please describe the proposed CAD system’s details relevant to this item.

8.3 The Vendor must describe its CI/CD and deployment processes. This response should focus specifically on the technical deployment mechanisms and automation practices used to implement releases:

Deployment frequency and model (e.g., scheduled releases, continuous deployment)

Use of automation (CI/CD pipelines)

Deployment strategies (blue/green, canary, rolling updates)

Rollback procedures and time to restore service in the event of deployment failure

8.4 The Vendor must describe which tools or test environments are provided to complement their quality assurance processes or if the system supports integration with third-party testing solutions.

Documentation must describe the supported approach(es) and any limitations. Please note that requirement CAD - Ref – 98 in Appendix 3 references this requirement.

9 Licensing

9.1 Describe the licensing and/or subscription model(s) available for any applicable licensed components of the CAD (concurrent users, total users, server cores, enterprise, other). Indicate the specific licensing model to be provided to the Town and used to quote the price found in the Cost Proposal.

9.2 Describe how the licensing model accommodates scaling up or down of users or agencies on a quarterly or yearly basis.

9.3 Describe the compliance requirements for licensing, whether there are regular system audits, and how they are addressed annually.

9.4 Describe how the licensing model addresses disaster and recovery environments (cloud and on-premise).

10 Auditability

10.1 Describe the CAD system’s operational audit capabilities, specifically related to tracking system usage and changes within the application, including:

Tracking operational events (e.g., incident creation/modification, unit status changes, dispatch actions)

Versioning and history tracking of records

User activity traceability within operational workflows

Retention policies for operational audit data

Reporting and querying capabilities for operational and administrative review

11 Service Level Availability and Response Times

11.1 Describe the below characteristics of the CAD system. This response is intended to understand any measurable/ enforceable service level expectations associated with the proposed CAD system, based on the capabilities described in the RFP in terms of:

The ability to meet the requested uptime and high availability performance expectations described in the RFP and detailed requirements.

Other assumptions and/or parameters that the Town should be aware of in order to meet the service level objectives/performance expectations.

Disaster recovery and business continuity: how the system will be backed up as part of the continuity planning process to ensure data integrity and system availability in case of a failure.

Provide three (3) specific examples of SLAs from similar live CAD installations, including agency name, contracted SLA type, and target(s).

The Vendor should include:

o Defined SLA metrics (e.g., uptime, response time, resolution time) o Measurement methodology o Reporting mechanisms o Service credits or financial penalties for SLA breaches o Conditions and exclusions

11.2 Outline how any cloud architectural components of the CAD are managed to create efficiencies for the organization. (e.g., automated patching, zero-downtime upgrades).

12 Security

12.1 Describe how the proposed CAD system ensures compliance with all relevant public safety security standards, including but not limited to Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and applicable state/local regulations. Include details on encryption (in transit and at rest), audit logging (with sample reports), and regular security assessments.

12.2 Describe your CAD system’s approach to user authentication (including support for multi-factor authentication), access controls (role-based, attribute-based, etc.), privilege management, and audit logging. Explain how these features support accountability and compliance in a public safety environment.

13 Supportability

13.1 Describe system monitoring and observability capabilities, including:

Real-time dashboards available to the Town

Alerting mechanisms

Integration with external

Use of third-party system monitoring tools.

13.2 Describe how the Vendor proposes to provide support for the Town and its CAD users. Explain the frequency and communication methodology for each of the stakeholders surrounding system maintenance.

13.3 Describe how the Vendor proposes to provide comprehensive system documentation (User Manuals, technical guides, and troubleshooting documentation).

13.4 Describe how training and onboarding for new users and ongoing training for existing users will ensure proficiency in system utilization (access to online tutorials, webinars, and training materials).

13.5 Describe your routine and schedule for system maintenance, including how updates and service packs are handled. And the process by which they will be implemented to reduce overall disruption to operations.

14 Interfaces

14.1 Describe the proposed approach to interface development – design, development, testing, and deployment. Please reference the Town’s existing systems and applications to specify whether each interface is available out-of-the-box or will require third-party development.

14.2 Describe any toolsets the Vendor will provide (or propose) to develop and deploy the interfaces for the proposed CAD system.

14.3 Provide a detailed list of supported interface protocols (e.g., RESTful APIs, SOAP, XML, JSON, etc.) and how the system can integrate with existing systems, such as records management systems (RMS) for police and fire.