SR 12-19-2023 5K
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: December 19, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.K
1 of 5
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Wolfgang Knabe, Interim Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Authorization to Issue Purchase Order to Lion Equipment for Firefighting
Personal Protective Equipment
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Authorize the Procurement Manager to issue a purchase order with All Star Fire
Equipment Inc., for firefighting personal protective equipment for the Fire
Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the
competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.250 (c). The cost for year
one is $205,301, with two additional one-year renewal options in the amount of
$155,850 for year 2 and $171,435 for year 3, on the same terms and conditions
for a total not to exceed $532,586 over a three-year period.
Summary
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
hazards encountered during structural and proximity firefighting operations.
The Fire Department is required to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all
firefighters. Staff recommends authorizing the Purchase Manager to issue a Purchase
Order to All Star Fire for PPE. This recommendation is made as an exception to the
City’s competitive bidding process pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section
5.K
Packet Pg. 348
2 of 5
2.24.250(c). All Star Fire is the sole distributor of Lion Firefighting equipment and won
the NPP.Gov bid from the League of Oregon Cities. The NPPGov serves public and
non-profit markets as a cooperative purchasing organization providing access to
contracts created through an RFP process conducted by a Lead Public agency. This
award would allow for the Santa Monica Fire Department to purchase PPE in
accordance with the terms of that bid. 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 exposure and requires cleaning. To
accomplish this, the Department needs to purchase up to thirty additional new sets of
turnouts each year. The maximum lifespan of a set of turnouts is 10 years, but some
may not last that long due to damage or severe wear. The use of the NPPGov
procurement option saves significant staff time and results in substantial cost savings to
the City.
The Fire Department recommends the City Council authorize the Purchasing Manager
issue a purchase order for a three-year term for an amount of $450,000 for Turnouts
and an additional $82,586 for other PPE , such as Fire Fighter gloves, hoods, boots, and
uniform suspenders. The total not to exceed amount over the next 3 years with All Star
Fire would be $532,586.
Discussion
In 2022, the Fire Department responded to nearly eighteen thousand calls for service,
and firefighters must don personal protective equipment, such as turnouts, hoods,
boots, gloves and suspenders, to protect the firefighter’s body from injury when
responding to emergency 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, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter.
The 2017 audit of firefighting PPE yielded a replacement strategy to assure all front -line
turnouts were less than ten years old and that every five years, a firefighter would
receive a replacement set of turnouts. With this replacement schedule, the Fire
5.K
Packet Pg. 349
3 of 5
Department expects to purchase 25 sets of PPE in an annual cycle that allows for future
budget planning and is consistent with national best practices. In addition to replacing
turnouts for existing personnel, the Department anticipates hiring up to thirteen recruits
in January of 2024. These personnel will receive a new set of turnouts upon successful
completion of the academy. The Fire Department has utilized grant funding to help pay
for turnouts in the past, and if any grant dollars become available for PPE, the Fire
department will consider subsidizing the costs of new turnouts with grant funds in
addition to General Fund dollars.
In addition to turnouts, Lion has also been awarded the NPPGov government contract
for other Personal Protective Equipment and uniform pieces, such as Fire Fighter
gloves, hoods, boots, and uniform suspenders. The Fire Department seeks approval to
purchase turnouts in the amount of $450,000 and additional items in the amount of
$82,586, for a total purchase order not to exceed $532,586.
Environmental Review
The purchase order for PPE is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. The purchase order is covered by the common
sense exemption which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be seen with
certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant
effect on the environment.” The purchase order will provide the SMFD with necessary
PPE for firefighters. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the purchase order
would not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, is
categorically exempt from CEQA.
Vendor Selection
Exception to Competitive Bidding
5.K
Packet Pg. 350
4 of 5
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the General Fund to award a
purchase order with All Star Fire Equipment Inc. for firefighting personal protective
equipment. The Department may utilize grant funding if it should become available.
Purchase Order Request
FY 2023-24
Request Amount
Amount for
Future Years Department # Total Contract
Amount
$179,701 $270,299 01190002.527530 $450,000
$27,500 $55,086 01190002.525200 $82,586
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Staff recommends All Star Fire Equipment to furnish and deliver firefighting personal
protective equipment, such as turnouts, boots, hoods, gloves and uniform suspenders,
as an exception to competitive bidding per Santa Monica Municipal Code 2.24.250 (a-
i).This purchase meets the City’s exception to competitive bidding criteria under SMMC
2.24.250(c) because the fire department used the NPP.Gov Cooperative agreement
with the League of Oregon Cities to secure reduced pricing for firefighting PPE. This
cooperative has helped save time from duplicating efforts.
ii). On November 12, 2019, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) issued a solicitation for
Fire Fighter Personal Protective Equipment Solicitation No. 1915. LOC works in
cooperation with National Purchasing Partners “NPP” and its Government Division dba
NPPGov, dba Public Safety GPO and dba Law Enforcement GPO (collectively
hereinafter “NPPGov”), to service the LOC and NPPGov membership. The published
Request for Proposal (RFP) contained provisions that permitted all members of LOC
and NPPGov throughout the nation to “piggy-back” off the resulting Master Price
Agreement.
LOC has determined that it is advantageous for LOC to procure Fire Fighter Personal
Protective Equipment using a secure competitive RFP process evaluated based on
“best value” rather than sealed bidding. Sealed bidding limits evaluation of offers solely
to compliance with the requirements, provides no opportunity to compare the product
and service offerings among the vendors, and uses price as the predominate deciding
factor. Such limitations prevent LOC from awarding the most advantageous contract(s)
for LOC and its members.
c. competitive procedures were followed by a governmental agency, federal, state,
county, city, joint powers agency, special district, or cooperative purchasing
agency and the goods or services are supplied to the City at the same or better
price;
5.K
Packet Pg. 351
5 of 5
Prepared By: Deanna Kendall, Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Oaks_Sposato Sayegh Hopper
5.K
Packet Pg. 352
5.K.a
Packet Pg. 353 Attachment: Oaks_Sposato Sayegh Hopper [Revision 1] (6151 : Award NPP contract to Lion for PPE)
5.K.a
Packet Pg. 354 Attachment: Oaks_Sposato Sayegh Hopper [Revision 1] (6151 : Award NPP contract to Lion for PPE)