CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Bid Award and Agreements with Dana Safety Supply, West Coast Lights & Sirens, and American Emergency Products
(AEP) for Police Vehicle Upfitting Services
MEETING DATE: May 7, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Denise Keith, Lieutenant
REVIEWED BY: Chris Karrer, Police Chief
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Award a bid and authorize the City Manager to execute a General Services Agreement with Dana Safety Supply, West Coast Lights & Sirens, and American Emergency Products (AEP) for On-Call Police Vehicle Upfitting Services in a total not-to-exceed amount of $500,000 through June 30, 2029, which includes an initial not-to-exceed amount of $300,000 through June 30, 2027, and up to two $100,000 one-year optional renewals; and
2. Authorize the Finance Department to issue individual purchase orders against the agreements.
DISCUSSION
The Menifee Police Department maintains a growing fleet of law enforcement and support vehicles that require specialized upfitting services. These include the installation of emergency and safety equipment for patrol vehicles, undercover units, administrative vehicles, code enforcement vehicles, and other departmental fleet assets. The upfitting work includes installation of light bars, radios, sirens, prisoner partitions, custom consoles, and other components that ensure each vehicle is operationally ready for field use.
To meet the City’s growing public safety demands and ensure the timely delivery of properly outfitted police vehicles, the Police Department initiated the process of establishing a pool of pre- qualified vendors. These vendors would be selected based on their availability, responsiveness, pricing, and ability to meet the scope of each project. The objective is to build long-term partnerships with experienced firms capable of providing reliable and cost-effective vehicle upfitting services.
City of Menifee Staff Report
MPD Vehicle Upfitting
May 7, 2025
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On October 17, 2024, the City of Menifee issued Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. 2025-2 for Police Vehicle Upfitting Services. The solicitation invited responses from qualified firms with demonstrated expertise in outfitting law enforcement vehicles. Proposals were due by November 11, 2024. The City received three submissions from the following vendors: Dana Safety Supply, West Coast Lights & Sirens, and American Emergency Products (AEP).
An evaluation committee consisting of key City personnel from both the Police Department and Fleet Division conducted a detailed review of the written proposals based on the scoring criteria outlined in the RFQ. The evaluation rubric included the following categories:
Experience/Qualifications of the Company (20 points), References (10 points), Proposed Project Approach (30 points), Project Team Qualifications (10 points), and Cost Proposal (30 points), for a total of 100 points. The average scores for the RFQ written proposal evaluation summary are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 – RFP WRITTEN PROPOSAL EVALUATION SUMMARY
Firm RFP Evaluation Score
American Emergency Products (AEP) 91.33
Dana Safety Supply 87.00
West Coast Lights & Sirens 83.67
Following the written evaluations, interviews were conducted with each of the three vendors. The interview phase consisted of two parts: a vendor presentation worth 30% of the total interview score, and a question-and-answer session worth 70%. The evaluation committee participated in the interviews. The average scores from the interview evaluations are summarized in Table 2.
TABLE 2 – RFP INTERVIEW EVALUATION SUMMARY
Firm RFP Evaluation Score
Dana Safety Supply 87.33
American Emergency Products (AEP) 84.67
West Coast Lights & Sirens 75.00
Vendor Scope of Services and Compensation
Each of the three vendors would provide vehicle upfitting services under separate agreements.
These agreements would be awarded in a combined not-to-exceed amount of $300,000 for the initial term, with an additional $100,000 maximum for each of the two optional one-year renewal terms. In addition, the rates in Table 3 would also apply.
TABLE 3 – COSTS PER VENDOR
Firm Labor Rates Parts Pricing & Discounts
American Emergency Products
(AEP)
In-Shop / Per Hour = $105.00
On-Site / Per Hour = $157.50 5% to 59% off MSRP
Dana Safety Supply In-Shop / Per Hour = $125.00
On-Site / Per Hour = $175.00
Fabrication / Per Hour = $195.00
Vehicle Transport/ $200.00-$250.00/Way
5% to 55% off MSRP
West Coast Lights & Sirens Labor / Per Hour = $135.00
Fabrication / Per Hour = $165.00 30% to 46% off MSRP
City of Menifee Staff Report
MPD Vehicle Upfitting
May 7, 2025
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•American Emergency Products (AEP) offers in-shop labor at $105.00 per hour and on- site labor at $157.50 per hour. AEP’s discount structure provides between 5% to 59% off MSRP, depending on brand and order timing. Parts pricing not to exceed the MSRP amount.
Labor rates may increase up to 3% annually per CPI, while parts may increase 3% to 5%, in alignment with CPI for the Los Angeles, Riverside, and Anaheim region over previous 12 months.
•Dana Safety Supply offers in-shop labor at $125.00 per hour, on-site labor at $175.00, a fabrication rate of $195.00 per hour, and vehicle transport rates of $200.00 for utility/Tahoe vehicles and $250.00 for vans/trucks per way. Dana Safety Supply discount structure provides between 5% to 55% off MSRP, depending on brand and order timing. Parts pricing not to exceed the MSRP amount. Labor rates may increase annually up to 5% based on CPI for the Los Angeles, Riverside, and Anaheim region over previous 12 months. •West Coast Lights & Sirens offers labor at $135.00 and a fabrication labor rate of $165.00 per hour. West Coast Lights & Sirens discount structure provides between 30% to 46% off MSRP, depending on brand and order timing. Parts pricing not to exceed the MSRP amount.
Labor rates may increase annually up to 5% based on CPI for the Los Angeles, Riverside, and Anaheim region over previous 12 months.
Given the importance of upfitting services to maintain fleet readiness and operational continuity, the evaluation committee recommends executing agreements with all three vendors. This multi- vendor approach allows the Police Department the flexibility to assign projects based on vendor availability, scheduling needs, turnaround times, and specific equipment compatibility. It also ensures that critical vehicles can be deployed quickly, minimizing delays and enhancing operational response capabilities.
Pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code § 3.12.080, the procurement of professional services, such as police vehicle upfitting, is exempt from the City’s competitive formal bidding requirements.
These services involve specialized technical expertise in the installation and integration of law enforcement equipment, including lighting, communication systems, and safety components, and therefore fall within the definition of professional services under the Code.
Contracts for professional services are awarded based on the demonstrated competence and professional qualifications of the contractor, along with the fairness and reasonableness of the cost. Cost alone is not the determining factor. This selection process ensures that the City partners with highly qualified vendors who possess the specialized skills necessary to meet the operational and safety needs of law enforcement, while also serving the best interests of the community.
The amount of the proposed contract exceeds the City Manager’s signing authority. Pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code §3.12.040, any contract amount that exceeds the City Manager’s signing authority shall be approved by the City Council.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Safe and Vibrant Community
City of Menifee Staff Report
MPD Vehicle Upfitting
May 7, 2025
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FISCAL IMPACT
The total fiscal impact of the proposed agreements is a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000 across all contract terms. This includes $300,000 allocated for the initial contract term, with an additional $100,000 available for each of the two optional one-year renewal periods. Upfitting for vehicles is currently budgeted in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/2025 under machine and equipment over $5,000 within the General Fund (1100-MPD-PDAM-660010). Funding for the upcoming fiscal years (FY 2025/2026 and FY 2026/27) would be budgeted as part of the respective year’s budget. No additional budget appropriation(s) is required.
If the contracted cost limit is reached during any term of the agreement, no additional work would be authorized or performed without formal approval from the City Council to amend the agreement and increase the not-to-exceed amount. The Menifee Police Department will monitor expenditures closely and coordinate with the City’s Finance Department to ensure compliance with contract limits.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement – American Emergency Products (AEP)
2. Agreement – Dana Safety Supply
3. Agreement – West Coast Lights & Siren
4. Final Results RFQ 2025-2