Title
Drone Docking Pad Project
History
The Police Department is proposing to install a Drone Docking Station on the Police Department grounds. The Drone Docking Station would be the first of its kind in the Village. Police departments and emergency responders are increasingly turning to drones to enhance officer safety, improve situational awareness, and accelerate emergency response times. These aerial camera-equipped drones provide a crucial overhead perspective, allowing officers to assess dangerous situations before entering harm's way and reaching locations that would otherwise be inaccessible or hazardous for personnel.
The real-time video capabilities of these systems enable command centers to make more informed decisions about resource deployment and personnel allocation. Drones also capture detailed documentation of accident and crime scenes for subsequent investigation. Their cost-effectiveness compared to traditional aircraft, combined with rapid deployment capabilities, allow agencies to expand their operational reach while maintaining higher safety standards for both responders and the communities they serve.
Drone Docking Pad
In July 2025 a site survey was conducted by the Police Department staff with Brinc Drones Inc., the manufacturer of the drone recently purchased by the Department. The optimal location for a Drone Docking Pad, on which the Drone Docking Station would be positioned, was identified as a parking island on the building's south side, positioned between two vehicle bays. This location offers several key advantages:
- Located within the secure Police Department parking lot;
- Ground-level access for easy equipment operation and maintenance;
- Close proximity to utilities for installing the required 20A power source and data connection;
- No additional fencing required due to existing secure perimeter.
Proposal
Public Works subsequently contacted Dav-Com Electric, Inc. to provide a turnkey proposal for the complete Drone Docking Pad installation. The scope of work includes installation of a new 16' x 16' x 6" concrete pad and associated landscaping work, dedicated GFI electrical outlets, CAT 6 data connections, conduit and cabling installation and a wall-mounted security camera.
Cooperative Purchasing / Contracting Programs
The Village utilizes a variety of cooperative programs (e.g. Omnia, Sourcewell, HGACBuy, State of Illinois Joint Purchase Program) to obtain proposals for goods and services. While not always the chosen approach, cooperative purchasing simplifies the procurement and service process for public agencies by allowing them to purchase through existing contracts negotiated by other public agencies. In other words, cooperative purchasing contracts have already gone through a competitive solicitation, evaluation process and been awarded to a supplier. The benefits of cooperative purchasing for public agencies include reduced procurement costs, greater time efficiency and the ability to obtain value-add and higher-quality products and services at industry-leading pricing.
Dav-Com Electric, Inc. (“Dav-Com”), a participant in the joint purchasing program Omnia Affiliate Compliance Management Contract #02-139, submitted a proposal to complete the Drone Docking Pad Project. Additional information about this Omnia contract is attached for reference. A summary of Dav-Com’s proposal price is provided below:
Proposal Summary
Drone Docking Pad Project: $36,100.00
The proposal price provided by Dav-Com was reviewed by Omina Affiliated Compliance Management against industry standard pricing of RS Means. This quality assurance ensures that pricing is fair and reasonable to other competitors’ pricing.
As such, based on the provided co-op proposal price and company qualifications, staff recommends approving the proposal from Dav-Com for a total of $36,100.00. A contingency is not requested for this project.
Financial Impact
Funding is available in account 1005070-443200 for Drone Docking Pad Project at the Police Department.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move in favor of participation in joint purchasing cooperative Omnia Partners pursuant to Contract #02-139 and authorize the approval and execution of a vendor contract with Dav-Com Electric, Inc. for the Drone Docking Pad Project, based on Dav-Com Electric, Inc.’s proposal #25-167-26 dated July 24, 2025, for a total not-to-exceed contract price of $36,100.00;
AND
Authorize the Village Manager to execute all related contracts subject to Village Attorney review.