The Aurora City Council is set to vote Tuesday on about a $1.1 million contract to upgrade the system that alerts the Aurora Fire Department to calls.
Aldermen are expected to approve the contract with Purvis Systems Inc., based in both New York and Rhode Island, for its Purvis Alerting System.
Aldermen have placed the item on the consent agenda for the Tuesday meeting, meaning it is likely to be approved.
Thomas Collier, project manager for the city’s Information Technology Department, has said IT and the Aurora Fire Department worked together and both picked the Purvis system.
Matt Anslow, assistant chief in charge of support services for the Aurora Fire Department, has said the current alerting system the city has is old, “inconsistent” and experiences “frequent down time.”
“So we’re looking to upgrade to a system that’s up-to-date and more friendly to our members,” he said.
Purvis is a 50-year-old company that works with more than 200 fire departments across the country, including New York City and neighboring Naperville. It also does some other work with DuPage County departments.
The company also does a lot of work with the U.S. Department of Defense. The company’s first system was developed in 1973 for the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Hugh Purvis.
“It seems to be a great system for us,” Anslow said. “It’s what we decided to go with after we did our research.”
Officials said after a call comes in, and is entered into the city’s computer aided dispatch system, the Purvis system will automatically transmit it to all first responders. It is instantly delivered, officials said.
Collier said the company can tailor its system to the Aurora Fire Department, doing as much or as little as the department needs.
slord@tribpub.com
