Talk to Me, Sarge

The reactions have been swift to the decision by the incoming governor’s administration to halt a contract with Motorola that would have led to installation of a statewide emergency communications system allowing different public safety departments to talk to each other during emergencies. This is of great interest to me, because I actually did an extremely small amount of work on this project at the request of the Department of Public Safety. (So small, in fact, that I was unaware the contract with Motorola had been signed until I read on Combest that it had been canceled.)

If this halting of the contract is merely part of the new administration’s review of everything, than it is not a big deal. It is understandable that a new administration will want to take a look at pending projects, especially during tough financial times. But the fact that times are tough also makes it more important than ever to get the best deal, and when a well-known company like Motorola comes in with a bid that is significantly below the estimated cost, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to address an important need for a very reasonable price.

I am confident the governor’s administration will see the benefits of partnering with Motorola to give public safety officers the tools they need during emergencies.

P.S. — The work I did only involved gathering information about the involvement of public-private partnerships in emergency communications around the world, and forwarding it to the Department of Public Safety. It was a great deal of fun, and — just to be clear — the state did not pay us anything for the work. We don’t do contract work for anyone, or accept government money for anything.