REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRIAN BARR, Director
General Services Department
BY: CLIFF TRAUGH, Administrative Manager
General Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the award of a purchase contract to Fire Apparatus Solutions of Rialto, California, for the purchase of one SVI Incident support, and one SVI Hazmat heavy fire apparatus in the amount of $2,214,297 for the Fresno Fire Department
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve the award of a purchase contract to Fire Apparatus Solutions of Rialto, California, for the purchase of one SVI Incident support, and one SVI Hazmat heavy fire apparatus in the amount of $2,214,297 for the Fresno Fire Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fresno Fire Department seeks to purchase one SVI Incident support, and one SVI Hazmat heavy fire apparatus, to provide hazardous materials response and emergency incident support services throughout the City of Fresno. These new units will be heavy specialized vehicles serving as front line emergency incident response vehicles. The Hazmat unit will be purchased as a replacement and the Incident support unit will be an addition to the fleet. Hazmat units are included in the August 29, 2022, Fire Department Apparatus Replacement Plan memorandum under the category of specialty units. Both heavy apparatuses will be purchased through a competitively solicited cooperative procurement process administered by Sourcewell, formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA).
BACKGROUND
The Fresno Fire Department, established in 1877, is one of the oldest fire departments in the United States, and the largest department in the Central Valley. The department operates 20 fire stations and responds to emergency calls with fully staffed fire engines and support vehicles. The new Hazmat and Incident support heavy apparatuses will serve as specialized resources for the City of Fresno’s emergency response needs.
The new Incident support heavy apparatus will be used as a mobile breathing support station, rehabilitation center, and cooling room for fire fighters. The unit will be equipped with a compressor capable of filling self-contained breathing apparatus bottles significantly faster than current equipment, allowing for faster deployment to crews on fire scenes. The unit will also feature an air-conditioned space for personnel to recover from excessive heat, as well as awnings and tents to provide the required shade area to firefighters. This new piece of additional equipment will better support firefighters in the field and help prevent the adverse effects of heat related illnesses.
The replacement Hazmat heavy apparatus will be used to respond to any emergency call that could expose the public to: Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear, or Explosive materials. Currently the City of Fresno operates one aging unit to serve in this capacity, which is the only unit in our region and one of only a few in the state. The new unit will be a Spartan chassis with a SVI body, updated with the latest emissions technology, exceeding the US 2010 emissions standard. This combination has proven to be reliable within the fleet and will continue to be the standard as discontinued apparatuses are removed from service.
The department’s heavy apparatus replacement plan is set at eight years or 80,000 miles to aid in the scheduling of units transitioning to “second out” status where they will serve until the end of their useful life. The goal of this schedule is to have units serve as “first out” front line emergency response for eight years, then an additional four years as a “second out” until being decommissioned. Currently the Hazmat unit is 17 years old and has well exceeded its useful life. Staff recommends this purchase based on age, mileage, and condition of the unit. Hazmat units are included in the August 29, 2022, Fire Department Apparatus Replacement Plan memorandum under the category of specialty units.
The equipment will be purchased utilizing competitively solicited cooperative procurement process administered by Sourcewell, formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA). The purchase contract will be awarded to Fire Apparatus Solutions who is the dealer for SVI and Spartan products. Fire Apparatus Solutions is the only dealer in our region able to supply the SVI body, which has become our preferred specification. The purchase price is $2,214,297 in total. This price includes the Sourcewell discount applied to city purchases as well as delivery and sales tax at 8.35%. The Purchasing Division has approved this contract and recommends Council to approve.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the award of this contract does not qualify as a project as defined by CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented, the City is using a cooperative purchase agreement to purchase these items.
FISCAL IMPACT
General funds will be used for the purchase of these items. The two fire apparatuses will be lease financed and paid for over a ten-year term. The first lease payment of $120,849 will occur once the units are delivered and accepted by the Fire Department in Fiscal Year 2024. The lease payment schedule will be included in the annual budget request for appropriations.
Attachments:
Board Resolutions
Comment & Review
Contract
Evaluation
Opening Record
Proof of Publication
RFP