DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Purchase of a Mobile Command Apparatus
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes acceptance of a contract with Siddons Martin Emergency Group to provide the Fire Department with one Pierce Mobile Command Apparatus for a total cost of $1,860,000.00. Funding is available in the amount of $1,250,000.00 from the 2019 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Grant. Additionally, funding in the amount of $244,000 is available from FY 2019 Police General Fund equipment balances, and $366,000 is available from the FY 2020 Fire Department General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Submitted for City Council consideration and action is the offer submitted by Siddons Martin Emergency Group to provide one 2020 Pierce Mobile Command Apparatus for use by the Fire Department for a total cost of $1,860,000.00.
The Fire Department is acquiring a specialized command apparatus for use at significant emergency events as well as large events such as Final Four, Fiesta and New Year’s Celebrations. The apparatus will also contain technology used to coordinate the public safety response at these events for the safety and health of the attendees. In addition, this apparatus will be available for local responses to large scale events, emergencies and disasters in the Alamo Area Council of Government (AACOG) and Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) service areas. Also, the outfitting of the mobile command apparatus will be in accordance with state guidelines and can be deployed to assist with state and federal declared disasters such as hurricanes, flooding or civil unrest. This apparatus will be constructed with input from not only the San Antonio Fire Department, but the San Antonio Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety communication team to ensure this apparatus will be a fully functional, operational part of the response team.
This apparatus will be constructed with the same body and design as the other Fire Department apparatuses allowing for ease of maintenance and reduced operating costs. This construction on an existing platform also ensures seamless operations by Fire Department personnel during these urgent and high stress periods due to familiarity with the apparatus. Using Siddons Martin Emergency Group apparatus platform will allow for a smooth transition for both the operators, as well as technicians maintaining this valuable piece of equipment.
ISSUE:
This contract will provide the Fire Department with one 2020 Pierce Mobile Command Apparatus to support command and coordination of large scale events and mass gatherings. This vehicle will be housed at the Fire Department Technical Services Division and will be used to respond to local, regional and state wide events. This unit can also be pre-staged at mass gatherings to be used in the command and control of the event by public safety officials.
The life expectancy of the new vehicle is 120 months and comes with a 12 month bumper-to-bumper warranty.
This unit will be purchased from Siddons Martin Emergency Group utilizing the Houston-Galveston Area Council cooperative contract number AM10-18. This purchase will be made in accordance with the Houston-Galveston Cooperative Program passed on resolution 96-41-48 dated 10/10/1996.
The Houston-Galveston Cooperative Program is administered by the Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative. All products and services included in this cooperative were competitively bid and awarded by the Cooperative’s Board of Trustees based on Texas statutes.
The Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance requirements were waived due to the lack of small, minority, and/or women businesses available to provide these goods and services.
The recommended award is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to goods/supplies contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this contract is not approved, the Fire Department would be required to continue using an aging command apparatus and incur increasing maintenance costs. The current command apparatus is also becoming more unreliable and could leave the department, city or region without a much needed asset in times of emergency, disaster or mass gathering. In addition, if the contract is not approved, the department and City run the risk of not receiving the future grant funding for the replacement of mobile command apparatus and could jeopardize future grant applications.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes acceptance of a contract with Siddons Martin Emergency Group to provide the Fire Department with one Pierce Mobile Command Apparatus for a total cost of $1,860,000.00. Funding is available in the amount of $1,250,000.00 from the 2019 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Grant. Additionally, funding in the amount of $244,000 is available from FY 2019 Police General Fund Budget, and $366,000 is available from the FY 2020 Fire Department General Fund Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this purchase with Siddons Martin Emergency Group for the purchase of a mobile command apparatus for a total cost of $1,860,000.00.
This contract is procured by means of cooperative purchasing and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.