Kansas

[Athomas5784]

This came straight from the City Council Agenda that was posted online. Great news for WFD! I do not see WFD going away from Squads anytime soon. They really do take the majority of all the medical calls and keep the miles off the heavy apparatus. WFD's stations are too spread apart to only have single Engine Houses for all the stations that currently do not have a Truck Co.



TO: Mayor and City Council

SUBJECT: Vendor Selection – Fire Apparatus Replacement (All Districts)

INITIATED BY: Department of Public Works & Utilities

AGENDA: Consent New Business

___________________________________________________________________________________

Recommendations: Approve the capital project, the bonding resolution, and the vendor selection.

Background: The Fire Department heavy equipment fleet consists of thirty-seven pieces of

equipment, including five aerial platforms, eighteen engines (pumpers), seven quints, one heavy rescue,

two mobile air trucks, one tender, one hazardous materials truck, one command vehicle, and one

rehabilitation vehicle. In addition, to ensure service readiness at all times, accommodate training

needs, and maintain the City’s fire insurance (ISO) rating, the fleet also includes four reserve

apparatus, for a total of forty-one fire heavy apparatus. With an average service life ranging from 10 to

15 years, several pieces of equipment must be replaced each year in order to maintain fire protection

capabilities and keep the fleet current.

Analysis: The vendor proposed to provide heavy fire apparatus to the City was selected through a

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)/Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

The following elements were examined during the RFQ process: dealer information, manufacturer

information, and maintenance/service, with the ultimate goal to identify firms with robust capabilities

in all three areas. Six responses were received and the screening and selection committee shortlisted

the respondents to three for further evaluation and interview. The teams of Conrad/Pierce,

Firefox/KME and Weis/E-One were chosen based on the size and strength of the manufacturer and

dealership and the attainment of certifications demonstrating high quality standards in the

manufacturing process.

The three teams were interviewed by members of the screening and selection committee. The

committee used the following criterion to compare and contrast the vendors and their proposals:

specification criteria, including spare parts procurement/distribution and adequate manufacturing

facilities; maintainability and life cycle costing, including easy access to the engine and major

mechanical components, and the maintainability and repair of body and substructures; product quality

and support, including standard and extended warranties and quality assurance practices; delivery

schedule; management plan and manufacturing capability, including adequate staffing and technical

approach/plan/schedule; and price proposal.

The team of Conrad/Pierce was unanimously selected by the committee (8-0) based on their superior

rankings in safety features of the apparatus, availability of parts and support, warranty coverage, and

mechanical aspects of the apparatus. Conrad/Pierce met the proposal specifications with their base

proposal and was very engaged in the presentation. The other potential vendors either did not address all

of the specifications in their proposal, presenting an artificially low price, or were not as highly engaged

in the presentation process.

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Vendor Selection – Fire Apparatus Replacement

September 18, 2012

Page 2

Apparatus pricing varied between the vendors. Proposed prices for the engines were: E\-One $465,674,

KME $540,270, and Pierce $596,726. Proposed prices for the trucks (100’ aerial platforms) were: E\-One

$898,602, KME $956,516, and Pierce $1,021,396. Although the pricing on the Pierce units is higher, the

Conrad/Pierce team proposed equipment that meets the needs of the Fire Department, while also

providing a high level of support both during and after the proposal process.

The Adopted 2011-2020 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes funding each year to replace

heavy fire apparatus. The amounts budgeted each year and the planned purchases are summarized in the

table below.

Purchase

Year Budget Year Budget Apparatus to be Purchased

2013 2011-2013 $ 8,157,000 Nine engines, one truck

2014 2014 $ 2,690,000 Three engines

2015 2015 $ 4,490,000 Two engines, one truck, one heavy rescue

2016 2016 $ 3,710,000 Two engines, one truck, one air and light

2017 2017 $ 2,580,000 Three engines

Five-year totals $21,627,000 24 apparatus

Financial Considerations: The CIP includes $2.47 million in 2011, $2.827 million in 2012, and $2.86

million in 2013 for the purchase of fire apparatus and related supplies and equipment required to place

the apparatus into service. Total funding over the three year budget period is $8.157 million. The

funding source is General Obligation bonds. Future years’ appropriations and bonding will be subject

to future Council approvals.

Goal Impact: Replacement of fire apparatus supports the Safe & Secure Community Goal. The new

equipment will increase citizen perception of safety, and maintained and/or improved response time to

public safety incidents. Standardization of equipment supports the Internal Perspective by reducing

operating and maintenance costs.

Legal Considerations: The Law Department has approved the bonding resolution as to form.

Recommendations/Actions: It is recommended that the City Council approve the selection of Pierce

Manufacturing as the supplier of heavy fire apparatus for a one year term with options for four

additional one year renewals; approve the project; adopt the bonding resolution; and authorize

necessary signatures.