Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar, Director, Department of Emergency Management
Subject: Amendment to Agreement No. 43000-26-D009 with Data Vision Group,
LLC for Expansion of Geospatial Situational Awareness Systems to Include a Situational Awareness Information Exchange Community-Based Organization (CBO) Communication Platform in the San Mateo County Regional Operations Center/Emergency Operations Center
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to Agreement No. 43000-26-D009 with Data Vision Group, LLC to expand the scope of work to include the development and implementation of a Situational Awareness Information Exchange Community-Based Organization (CBO) Communication Platform, extending the term by four (4) months through May 19, 2029, and increasing the not-to-exceed amount by $151,000 for a revised total not to exceed amount of $336,000.
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BACKGROUND:
The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management (SMC EM) operates the Regional Operations Center (ROC)/Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as the County’s central hub for mission-critical emergency operations. The ROC/EOC houses the Emergency Operations Center, 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatch, and Emergency Management (SMC EM). Designed as a seismically safe, state-of-the-art facility, the ROC is capable of sustaining emergency personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in response to emergency activations and to support countywide major incidents and operations.
A modern geospatial situational awareness system is a foundational requirement for any effective EOC. Industry standards and best practices for emergency operations centers consistently emphasize that integrated geospatial dashboards and collaboration platforms are essential for maintaining situational awareness during both steady-state operations and emergencies. These systems consolidate multiple real-time data sources-including incident reports, geospatial mapping, resource status, and inter-agency/CBO coordination-into a single, shared Common Operating Picture (COP) visible to the entire command team and operational partners simultaneously. This capability enables faster pattern recognition, reduces cognitive load on operators, supports multi-agency and community-partner coordination, and accelerates decision-making when seconds count. Without it, fragmented information across separate systems can lead to delays, miscommunication, or overlooked details, compromising response effectiveness.
The California Emergency Services Act and federal guidelines (e.g., FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide) underscore the need for robust command-and-control technology to ensure 24/7 operational readiness. The existing Geospatial Situational Awareness Exchange Dashboard (Agreement No. 43000-26-D009), while effective for internal County use, does not yet fully extend secure, role-based collaboration to the County’s network of operational community partners (CBOs). Expansion to include a dedicated CBO Communication Platform is therefore imperative to position the ROC/EOC as a fully capable, resilient functional center ready to handle any emergency activation at any time while strengthening coordination with community-based organizations across the County.
DISCUSSION:
Emergency Management (SMC EM) has obtained an approved piggyback contract waiver that has been reviewed and approved by the Procurement Department. The existing agreement is held by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) and was awarded through a competitive bid process The Department of Emergency Management has evaluated options and selected the proposal submitted by Data Vision Group, LLC as the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution to expand the County’s geospatial situational awareness capabilities. This amendment builds directly on the original Agreement No. 43000-26-D009 (dated January 7, 2026) by adding the development and implementation of a Situational Awareness Information Exchange Community-Based Organization (CBO) Communication Platform.
The expanded scope includes:
• Configuration of a Microsoft Teams-based collaboration platform in the Microsoft 365 Government Community Cloud (GCC), structured as a single Team with dedicated channels for the Coastside, Mid-County, South County, and North County Clusters, plus a private Admin Channel.
• Implementation of role-based access controls: Admin (SMC EM - full control), Member (Cluster Lead Agencies - manage users within clusters), and Guest (operational partner CBO participants - limited access).
• Development of Microsoft Forms for user intake and Power Automate workflows for approval-based onboarding of external “Guest” users from allied agencies.
• Configuration of multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement and guest access policies.
• Delivery of live training sessions recorded training materials, a training hub, administrative guide, and user onboarding documentation.
• Completion of the platform buildout within the four-to-six-month timeline contemplated in the Statement of Work.
This amendment preserves and enhances the original Geospatial Situational Awareness Exchange Dashboard while adding the CBO platform as an integrated component. The project leverages the County’s existing Microsoft 365 and Esri ArcGIS Online tenants for seamless integration, minimizes disruption to ongoing operations, and includes full project management, testing, commissioning, and support. Data Vision Group, LLC will identify opportunities for future enhancements based on user feedback and advances in Microsoft and Esri services.
The Department of Emergency Management has determined that this proposal represents the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution to modernize and expand the ROC/EOC’s situational awareness infrastructure. No disruption to ongoing operations is anticipated beyond scheduled configuration windows. Edge cases such as scalability for surge staffing during major activations and compatibility with existing 9-1-1 dispatch and multi-agency partners have been fully addressed.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
This amendment directly supports the County’s ability to protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure during emergencies. By expanding the ROC/EOC’s geospatial situational awareness systems to include a dedicated CBO Communication Platform, the County ensures timely, coordinated responses that incorporate operational community partners across all four geographic clusters. Without this enhanced platform, coordination with CBOs would remain fragmented, potentially slowing resource deployment, complicating inter-agency and community collaboration, and increasing the overall complexity and cost of incident management. The modernized system will benefit every resident by enabling more effective handling of wildfires, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents, public health emergencies, or other events through stronger partnerships with community-based organizations, ultimately strengthening community resilience and public safety.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The amendment to Agreement No. 43000-26-D009 with Data Vision Group, LLC is for an amount not to exceed $151,000, bringing the revised total Agreement amount to $336,000. Funding for this purchase will be included in the FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget and there is no other impact to Net County Cost.