SR 11-22-2016 3I
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : November 22, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.I
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Bill Walker, Fire Chief , Fire Department
Subject: Modify Purchase Order for Personal Protective Equipment
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Increase the award of Bid #4215, awarded to Municipal E mergency Services
Inc., a Connecticut -based company, for the purchase of firefighting personal
protective equipment, from $165,000 to $4 5 0 ,000; and
2. Authorize the Purchasing Services Manager to issue a purchase order with
Municipal Emergency Services Inc. f or firefighting personal protective equipment
in the amount not to exceed $450,000 over the three year agreement and on the
same terms and conditions with future year funding contingent on Council budget
approval.
Executive Summary
Fire Department per sonnel are equipped with two sets of personal protective equipment
(PPE). Following a formal bid process in FY2015 -16, Municipal Emergency Services
Inc. was recommended as the best bidder to provide and deliver firefighting personal
protective equipment. T he current purchase order with MES is not to exceed $165,000.
However, after auditing the current i nventory , and accounting for the new recruit
academy of 17 firefighters who all require a new set and access to a reserve set , the
current purchase order req uires modification. Staff recommends an increase to the
current purchase order authority for the three year term to a total not to exceed
$4 5 0 ,000.
Background
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets the standard governing the
requirements for structural firefighting protective clothing and for proximity firefighting
protective clothing. NFPA 1971 protects firefighting personnel by establishing minimum
levels of protection from thermal, physical, environmental, and blood -borne pathogen
haz ards encountered during structural and proximity firefighting operations. PPE
typically has a useful life of ten years and must be replaced prior to the end of its useful
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life or replaced sooner if damaged beyond repair. In addition, NFPA standards
recom mend that each firefighter be equipped with two sets of turnouts to avoid
contamination after a fire or other hazardous response which require decontamination
of worn garments prior to be being placed back into service. The Department provides
this equipm ent for each firefighter.
On October 27, 2015 (Attachment A), Council awarded Bid #4215 to Municipal
Emergency Services Inc., a Connecticut -based company, for the purchase of firefighting
personal protective equipment and authorized the Purchasing Service s Manager to
issue a purchase order with Municipal Emergency Services Inc. for firefighting personal
protective equipment for a total not to exceed $165,000.
Structural firefighting turn out gear has not been funded out of an expenditure line item
for the fire department. This has resulted in the purchasing and subsequent inventory
being somewhat inconsistent. After a thorough audit and taking into account 17 new
firefighters coming on at one time, the department requires a significant expenditure in
thi s area to meet the needs of our personnel.
Discussion
In 2016, t he Fire Department responded to over fifteen thousand calls for service .
O fficers must don personal protective equipment to protect the firefighter’s body from
injury when responding to e mergency incidents. Personal protective equipment is worn
to protect the firefighter from harmful environmental conditions and physical injury
during fire and rescue incidents. The hazards addressed by protective equipment
include physical, electrical, he at, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter.
The maximum lifespan of a set of turnouts is 10 years, but some may not last that long
due to damage or severe wear.
A recent comprehensive analysis of Fire Department PPE revealed significant
d eficiencies in the replacement of aged and worn PPE. The Fire Department expects to
purchase 25 -30 sets of PPE in an annual cycle that allows for future budget planning
and is consistent with national best practices. In addition to replacing suits for exis ting
personnel, t he Department recently hired seventeen firefighter recruits and must
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purchase equipment for these new officers. Currently, these recruits use rented
equipment from 911 Safety Equipment, LLC, a New York -based company.
Staff recommends a modification to an existing purchase order for personal protective
equipment (PPE). Each Firefighter requires a primary set of turnouts, and a reserve set
that can be used when the frontline set becomes contaminated following a fire or other
significant ex posure and requires cleaning.
Vendor Selection
In August 2015, the City published a Notice Inviting Bids to deliver firefighting personal
protective equipment as required by the Fire Department in accordance with City
specifications. The bid was posted on the City’s on -line bidding site, and notices were
advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and
Municipal Code provisions. A total of 460 vendors were notified, of which 35
prospective vendors downloaded the bid. Two b ids were received and publicly opened
on September 11, 2015 per Attachment A. In addition to price, bids were evaluated
based on ability to deliver and compliance with bid specifications. Bid specifications
adhere to regional specifications as developed by the Los Angeles Region Fire
Agencies with some slight variation. Additionally, Municipal Emergency Services Inc. is
recommended as the best and lowest bidder to provide personal protective equipment
in accordance with the City specifications. MES is a regional provider of firefighting
equipment and is well positioned to deliver PPE within the specifications outlined in the
bid.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The purchase order modification to be awarded to Municipal Emergency Services Inc. is
$2 85,000, for an amended purchase order total not to exceed $450 ,000. Funds are
available in the FY2016 -17 budget in the Fire Department. The purchase order will be
charged to account 01313.533010. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget
approv al.
Prepared By: Terese Toomey, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. October 27, 2015 Council S taff Report