Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager
 
 

Date

November 19,2007

 

Agenda Item No.       39B

Roll Call No.              07-

Communication No.  07-686

Submitted by: Phillip C. Vorlander.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Fire Chief

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Award of annual contract for Des Moines Fire Department personal protective equipment (PPE).

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Approval of the bid of Sandry Fire Supply, LLC, 618 6th Street, DeWitt, IA 52742 (Mary Sandry, Manager) for the provision of Fire Service Bunker Coats and Fire Service Bunker Pants (PPE) for the Des Moines Fire Department.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount: Morning Pride BPR-2512 Fire Service Bunker Coat @ $989

               Morning Pride BPR-2512 Fire Service Bunker Pant @ $645

Total cost of one complete ensemble is $1634 for an estimated twenty-five to thirty-five units per year. Bunker coats and bunker pants are most often replaced individually when damaged beyond repair.

 

Funding Source:

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

 

On October 16, 2007 Bid #V08-037 was sent to ten (10) vendors of fire service personal protective equipment requesting quotation for supplying bunker coats and bunker pants (commonly referred to as ‘turnout gear’) for the Des Moines Fire Department. Five proposals were received from four vendors.

 

Generally, specifications required compliance with National Fire Protection Association 1971, Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting (2007 edition). In addition, field testing of the different PPE ensembles provided data for how the gear will perform in conditions to which it will be exposed in DMFD service in order to assure to the extent practical that the gear will perform safely and efficiently.  Attributes that were assessed in the ten months of field testing include:

 

1.      Blood borne pathogen resistance of the PPE to protect firefighters when responding to incidents where they may be exposed to blood and other body fluids;

2.      Coats designed with “tails” to provide heat and flame protection to the firefighter’s back and nameplate visibility when wearing self contained breathing apparatus;

3.      Cushioned knees with channels that protect the firefighter’s knees when performing building searches and fire attack in structures.

 

These vendors were found to be noncompliant and/or less satisfactory for the reasons set forth below.

 

·        Clarey’s Safety, Inc. bid of $1,436.64 for Fire Dex coat and pant did not fully comply with the bid specification and had exceptions to the comfort chin strap, tails design of the coat and the knee pad.  The delivery time of 150 – 180 days was the highest of all bidding entities and is not acceptable for timely delivery of PPE.

 

·        MES bid of $1,510.04 for Globe G-Xtreme 32968-4 coat and 42968-4 pant did not fully comply with the bid specification and had twenty-six exceptions including no tail design of the coat, certification labeling, padded knee, collar, and chin strap.

 

·        Fire Guard, Inc. bid of $1,321.74 for Quaker 76C-17-1-79 coat and 11P-17-1-79 pant did not fully comply with the bid specification and had twenty-five exceptions to the bid including no tail design of the coat, stitching methods, liner attachment, inspection port, padded knee, and chin strap.  The delivery time of 120 days was the second-highest of all bidding entities and is not acceptable for timely delivery of PPE.

 

·        Ed M. Feld Equipment Co., Inc. bid of $1,192 for Veridian Vanguard Series coat and pant did not fully comply with the bid specification and had twenty-one exceptions including third party certification of the blood borne pathogen resistant capability, thread, stitch methods, tails design of the coat, padded knee, front closure, sleeves, and wristlet.

 

·        Sandry Fire Supply, LLC submitted an alternate bid of $1676 utilizing more expensive outer shell fabric that was fully compliant with the bid specification.

 

Sandry Fire Supply, LLC’s bid of $1,634 for Morning Pride BPR-2512 coat and pant, while not the lowest bid received, was fully compliant with all of the requirements of the bid specification and was deemed to be in the best interest of the DMFD and, for these reasons, the Chief of the Fire Department recommends that they be awarded the contract for the provision of bunker coats and bunker pants.

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):  NONE

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S): NONE

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS:  NONE