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.