City of Corona
Staff Report
400 S. Vicentia Ave.
Corona, CA 92882
File #: 22-0532
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 07/06/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Fire Department
SUBJECT:
Purchase of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus components from Bauer Compressors, Inc.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
City Council consideration of the purchase of breathing apparatus components from Bauer Compressors in the amount of $708,180. The breathing apparatus is a critical component of firefighter personal protective equipment. A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a respiratory protective device that contains and delivers breathable compressed air. It is typically used by firefighters while operating in areas immediately dangerous to life and health, such as inside a structure fire or in a hazardous environment with smoke or toxic gas. All fire apparatus in Corona are equipped with an SCBA for each assigned firefighter. The current SCBA platform in use by the Corona Fire Department was purchased in 2008 and is at the end of its usable life. This purchase is part two of a two-part purchase; part one was approved at the May 4, 2022 City Council meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council
a. Authorize the Purchasing Manager to issue a purchase order to Bauer Compressors in the amount of $708,180 for the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and associated components.
b. Make a determination under Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(c) that competitive bidding has been satisfied based upon the reasons provided in the "Basis for Determination of Competitive Bidding" section of this report.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Corona Fire Department currently uses the Scott AP75 4.5 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) platform. The Scott SCBA platform was purchased in 2008 and came with various City of Corona Page 1 of 4 Printed on 6/29/2022
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File #: 22-0532
(SCBA) platform. The Scott SCBA platform was purchased in 2008 and came with various warranties covering 3, 10, or 15 years depending on the item: the electronics were warrantied for three years; the back frame, hoses, regulator, and other accessory equipment for ten years; and the pressure reducer for fifteen years. With the expiration of the 10-year components, year-overyear repairs have increased incrementally and totaled $95,956 since 2016. With the aging fleet of the Scott AP75, the need for replacement was formally identified in 2019. This purchase is part two of a two-part purchase; part one was approved at the May 4, 2022 City Council meeting.
ANALYSIS:
Starting in 2019, multiple manufacturers were assessed to meet the current and expected needs of the Corona Fire Department. Following a COVID-related pause, the evaluation process was revisited in 2021. The vendors Scott and MSA were determined to be the best options based on professional application, warranty, and local logistical support. The Scott X3 and the MSA G1 models were identified for a multi-phase evaluation. This evaluation aimed to objectively determine which SCBA platform will best fit the current and future needs of the Corona Fire Department. Phase 1 included vendor presentations, and phase 2 included a wear and use trial. The wear and use trial included ten practical scenarios that simulated actual firefighting and immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) scenarios. In addition to firefighter wearability and functionality of the equipment, the ability to communicate in the IDLH environment was evaluated.
Several features were identified following the vendor presentations in phase 1 of the evaluation, making the MSA Safety product more desirable. The SCBA harness is ergonomically superior and allows individual user adjustment based on height, potentially reducing firefighter injury. Other positives noted with the MSA product over the Scott product were linked to communication. The external voice amplified Bluetooth technology greatly enhanced communication. Furthermore, all MSA Safety G1 SCBA components are warrantied for 15 years, versus 3/5/10 years for the Scott components. Additionally, the MSA platform operates on a single rechargeable battery for the Bluetooth and air monitoring technology, while the Scott platform requires two independent batteries.
Again, several outcomes were identified in phase 2 of the evaluation, making the MSA product more desirable. The MSA harness and back frame are more comfortable with increased stability allowing for longer firefighter wear times with less fatigue. The Bluetooth communication system enhanced communication when working in groups of firefighters, which was further improved by the physical design of the electronic voice amplifier. Finally, the lighter weight of the mask and mask-mounted regulator improved face comfort and lessened the physical stress and anxiety of wearing the mask for prolonged timeframes.
The first portion of the SCBA platform and components replacement in the amount of $515,065 was approved for purchase at the May 4, 2022 City Council meeting. This second portion of the SCBA platform and components replacement in the amount of $708,180 will complete the necessary equipment upgrade.
BASIS FOR EXCEPTION TO COMPETITIVE BIDDING
Staff believes that Competitive Bidding has been accomplished for these purchases pursuant to City of Corona Page 2 of 4 Printed on 6/29/2022
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File #: 22-0532
Staff believes that Competitive Bidding has been accomplished for these purchases pursuant to Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 3.08.140(c) which states as follows:
“Competitive bidding already completed. When the purchasing agent and the authorized contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determines that:
(1) A competitive bid procedure has been conducted by another public agency including, but not limited to, another local agency, the state through the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), the federal government through the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, or the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA); and
(2) The price to the city is equal to or better than the price to that public agency.” Purchasing seeks out cooperative purchasing agreements because they allow the City to save time, cut administrative costs, improve agency efficiency, and maximize City budgets. By using a cooperative purchasing agreement, the City will be leveraging the purchasing power of a nationwide contract to achieve greater purchasing power. On January 10, 2019, the HoustonGalveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) Cooperative Purchasing Program issued Bid Solicitation #EE08-19 to purchase Emergency Medical and Rescue Equipment (Exhibit 2). Vendors from across the country were solicited. Twenty bids (consisting of fifty-six vendors) were reviewed and recommended for award. HGAC awarded MSA Safety Sales, LLC contract #EE08-19 for SCBA equipment on May 21, 2019. A contract assignment and assumption agreement was entered into between HGAC, MSA Safety Sales, LLC, and Bauer Compressors, Inc. (Exhibit 3). Amendment 1 to contract #EE08-19 extended the term of the agreement through July 31, 2022 (Exhibit 4).
HGAC’s cooperative contracts are available and open to other public entities. HGAC contract #EE08- 19 with Bauer is provided to the city with a 15% discount on the suggested list price.
Based on this previously conducted bid process by HGAC Buy, the Corona Fire Department requests approval to purchase MSA Safety G1 self-contained breathing apparatus and associated components from Bauer Compressors in the amount of $708,180 (Exhibit 5).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended action is available in the Fire Department’s Fiscal Year 2023 SCBA Program Capital Improvement Project No. 76170.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely approves an agreement for the purchase of breathing apparatus components, and there is no possibility that this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required City of Corona Page 3 of 4 Printed on 6/29/2022
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File #: 22-0532
PREPARED BY: BRIAN YOUNG, FIRE CHIEF
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - MSA G1 Product Specifications
2. Exhibit 2 - HGAC Final Bid #EE08-19
3. Exhibit 3 - Bauer Contract Assignment and Assumption Agreement
4. Exhibit 4 - Amendment #1 to Contract #EE08-19
5. Exhibit 5 - Bauer Compressors Quote
City of Corona Page 4 of 4 Printed on 6/29/2022
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