Skip to main content

File #: 25-0366    Version: 1
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 9/8/2025 In control: Board of Hennepin County Commissioners
On agenda: Final action: 10/14/2025
Title: Agmt PR00007510 with Acoustic Technology, Inc. to provide an outdoor warning system, which will benefit all Hennepin County cities, 10/21/25-6/30/31, including implementation and five years of maintenance/support, NTE $3,730,813.56
Sponsors: Eric Waage
Attachments: 1. RESOLUTION
Item Description:
title
Agmt PR00007510 with Acoustic Technology, Inc. to provide an outdoor warning system, which will benefit all Hennepin County cities, 10/21/25-6/30/31, including implementation and five years of maintenance/support, NTE $3,730,813.56

end
Resolution:
body
BE IT RESOLVED, Agreement PR00007510 with Acoustic Technology, Inc. for an outdoor warning system, for the period of October 21, 2025 through June 30, 2031, in the not to exceed amount of $3,730,813.56 be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of the County; and the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.

end
Background:
This project will procure software and associated infrastructure hardware that allows 6 siren control points to activate 293 fixed and 3 portable outdoor warning sirens across Hennepin County. Hennepin County Emergency Management (HCEM) is responsible for the integration and coordination of the public alert and warning system in Hennepin County, including outdoor warning siren strategy and policy development. HCEM also has the capability to activate the county's outdoor warning sirens and is responsible for making siren activation decisions in the correct locations for weather events that do not meet automatic siren sounding criteria. This project is part of the 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Program (Project 1006386).

While cities own the almost 300 individual sirens across the county, the physical infrastructure and software needed to activate them is owned by HCEM. Six computers in four different locations throughout the County are networked together to receive National Weather Service alerts and warnings. Any one of these computers can sound the siren system, essentially making the system 6-times redundant. The system can also sound manually by an authorized user from any one of the computers.

The current siren control system is 13 years old, has limited capabilities and lacks the necessary mapping int...

Click here for full text