City of Chico Police Department

Chico, CA

THE RESULTS: Upgraded Data Center and Separate New Weapons Armory Room

DSI delivered on all of the City of Chico Police Department’s objectives. The work was accomplished with zero downtime. The new infrastructure is ready for expansion (new cabinets) as well as a redundant UPS system in the future. DSI accomplished all the work during the COVID-19 outbreak, and all DSI employees wore safety gear and followed all safety guidelines while on-site.

DSI Delivers Upgraded Data Center for a Local Police Department, Meets New Growth Requirements and Future Growth Needs

The mission of the City of Chico Police Department is to create a safer Chico and to improve quality of life by partnering with the community and providing dedicated service. The Chico Police Department is comprised of over 140 full-time employees, with an additional 100 police volunteers. Interaction with the entire community is a priority, with many services available online including non-emergency reporting and 911 Emergency calls. So, when the department chose Data Specialties Inc.’s Northern California team to upgrade their existing data center, we knew going in that zero down time was an absolute requirement.

THE CHALLENGE: Update the Existing Data Center with Zero Downtime while Adding an Armory Room…All During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With a growing reliance on technology across all government agencies, the City of Chico Police Department needed to update its existing data center. This meant using the existing uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system while keeping the Police Department’s main data center online and fully functional. And because the data center was growing, it was important to find a solution that would allow for a future redundant UPS and future growth, as well as a new Armory Room, with zero downtime.

THE SOLUTION: Assess, Design and Upgrade the Data Center While Making Room for a Separate New Armory

The City of Chico Police Department turned to Data Specialties Inc. (DSI) to address its data center needs. DSI started by upgrading the data center to provide a future redundant UPS, as well as making room for four (4) additional cabinets. We also added a new separate space to use as the Police Department’s Armory to house weapons and ammunition, and to have additional space for cleaning and maintaining those weapons.

In order to meet the needs of the City of Chico Police Department, DSI completed the following:

  • Initially, DSI provided as-built drawings of what was existing and what work would be included in the new project
  • Sealed off the existing cabinets using a Visqueen barrier in order to perform construction all around the existing cabinets, including new walls, a new ceiling, electrical, plumbing and new ductwork for the existing cooling system so that no gas could escape from the new Novec system
  • Installed a feeder to a new UPS supported electrical panel
  • Installed a new Starline Track Busway
  • Installed a new EPO system
  • Installed a new Novec clean agent fire detection/suppression system for the data center

The project also included the installation of a new T-Bar ceiling for the new data center and armory.