ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 7, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Resolutions TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Randy McKeegan, Finance Director
DATE: September 22, 2026
SUBJECT: Dispense with bidding for purchase Occupational Medical Services for the Fire Department.
1. Resolution determining that Occupational Medical Services can most efficiently be procured through cooperative procurement bidding procedures from Life Scan Wellness Centers and authorizing the Finance Director to dispense with bidding and negotiate the purchase of Occupational Medical Services not to exceed $429,000 for the Fire Department.
2. Approve contract with Life Scan Wellness Centers (not to exceed $429,000) to provide Occupational Medical Services for an initial two-year term.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the resolution and approval of the agreement.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Bakersfield’s Fire Department requires specialized occupational health services to support the health, safety, and fitness for duty of its firefighters. Due to the physically demanding nature of firefighting and potential exposure to smoke, hazardous substances, infectious diseases, extreme environmental conditions, and traumatic incidents, firefighters require comprehensive medical evaluations and occupational health screenings specific to the fire services.
The services provided by Life Scan Wellness Centers include comprehensive hands-on physical examinations, Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) testing, Behavioral Health Assessments, and documentation through Life Scan’s proprietary National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) electronic medical records (EMR) system. These services provide the Department with a centralized and specialized process for conducting and documenting firefighter medical and occupational health evaluations.
The City of Bakersfield’s municipal code section 3.20.060(D)(6) allows the City to dispense with bidding when it is determined that work, supplies, equipment or materials is not available from local vendors and that it is in the best interests of the City, and to the City’s economic advantage that such work, supplies, equipment or materials be obtained at the lowest possible cost by entering into a cooperative procurement contract that was competitively bid within the last thirty-six months or is one that is still active and valid.
Life Scan Wellness Centers has entered into a competitive procurement contract with the City of Modesto to offer discount pricing for Occupational Medical Services. The City of Modesto has approved the City of Bakersfield’s formal request for authorization to piggyback on the existing contract between the City of Modesto and Life Scan Wellness Centers. This procurement method will allow the City of Bakersfield’s Fire Department to take advantage of competitive pricing, streamline the purchasing process, and achieve meaningful cost and time savings. Staff recommend that the City Council approve the piggyback purchase of Occupational Medical Services from Life Scan Wellness Centers through the City of Modesto’s cooperative agreement, adopt the Resolution to dispense with formal bidding procedures for the purchase of the services and approve the agreement for an initial two-year term; renewable annually thereafter for three consecutive one-year periods.
Life Scan’s specialized services will complement the Fire Department’s existing occupational medical services by providing additional firefighter-specific physical and behavioral health assessments, required screenings, and medical record management. These services will enhance the Department’s existing program by providing a comprehensive approach tailored to the unique physical demands and occupational exposures associated with firefighting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funds are available in the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year Self-Insurance Fund for the purchase of the services.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Signed Agreement