Public Safety Committee
May 12, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Damon Covington
City Administrator Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Purchase Agreement with Bauer
Compressors, Inc.
DATE: April 20, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends The City Council Adopt A Resolution: Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Purchase Agreement With Bauer Compressors Inc. For The Purchase, Service, And/Or Repair Of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Units, And Complete Repairs To Turnout Gear Cleaning Extractors, For A Three Year Period In An Amount Not Exceed Six Hundred Thousand ($600,000), With An Two One-Year Options To Extend The Agreement For Up To An Additional Two Years In An Amount Not To Exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) Per Year, Without Returning To Council, For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) Over The Possible Five Year Term; And (2) Waiving The Advertising And Competitive Bidding Requirements.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of this Resolution will authorize the City Administrator to waive the competitive bidding requirements to establish a new contract with Bauer Compressors Inc. ensuring firefighters have required respiratory breathing equipment for emergency operations in immediate dangerous to life and health (IDLH) environments. Bauer Compressors Inc., a local vendor in Livermore, California, provides equipment and facilitates flow testing meeting National Fire Protection Association 1981 (Standard on Open-Circuit Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services) and California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CAL-OSHA) requirements. Equipment purchasing needs are influenced by instrumentation testing results and recommendations from Bauer Compressors Inc.
Jestin Johnson (Apr 30, 2026 10:09:56 PDT)
Apr 30, 2026
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Purchase Agreement with Bauer Compressors, Inc.
Date: April 20, 2026 Page 2
Public Safety Committee
May 12, 2026
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Firefighter safety components are a mandated requirement by the California Occupational Safety and Health Association (CAL-OSHA) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Oakland and Local 55. The Oakland Fire Department is required to provide breathing equipment and filling stations for its personnel.
Bauer Compressors Inc. is the only authorized vendor in Northern California for purchasing and servicing our Mining Safety Apparatus (MSA) equipment.
On July 17, 2012 the City Council approved Resolution No. 83997 C.M.S., which waived the competitive bidding requirements to allow Bauer Compressors Inc. to provide SCBA equipment and annual servicing/testing for OFD. Since the initial 2012 approval, Bauer Compressors Inc. has continued to provide equipment for use by Department members.
The Department has a current has a valid cooperative purchasing agreement with Bauer Compressors Inc. in the amount of $250,000 (remaining balance $118,000) that expires June 30, 2027. This resolution seeks the approval of Council to enter into a new direct purchase agreement with Bauer to secure SCBA equipment and annual maintenance/testing over an initial three-year term with an option to extend for an additional two-years, ensuring Oakland Fire has a consistent source for respiratory breathing equipment.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
A local supplier of SCBA equipment and testing ensures that Oakland firefighters have access to safety gear in a timely manner when such items are requested through the City’s procurement process. The incumbent vendor, Bauer Compressors Inc., has and continues to provide safety gear when requested by the Department.
A full-service SCBA vendor provides the following essential items for a fire service organization:
• SCBA units that are NFPA and OSHA compliant
• Annual mandated testing and servicing of SCBA units, facepieces, and compressors/filling stations
• Compliance and best practices recommendations
Since the incumbent is providing a full catalog of goods for the Department, the only alternative is to select another vendor to fulfill similar duties. There are no other vendors in the immediate area who can meet the equipment needs for the Department. Based on the longstanding relationship between the vendor and the Department, staff recommends Council waive the Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Purchase Agreement with Bauer Compressors, Inc.
Date: April 20, 2026 Page 3
Public Safety Committee
May 12, 2026
multi-step proposal solicitation process and enter in a new three-year agreement and an option to extend up to an additional two years.
Past Performance Evaluation and Follow-Up
The incumbent has continually provided SCBA equipment needs for the Oakland Fire Department since 20012 ensuring Oakland firefighters are equipped with proper and compliant respiratory protection for use in IDLH environments. Extending the length and dollar amount of the contract ensures the Department remains operationally ready for all emergency types. The vendor has been a reliable equipment provider to fire departments across the United States.
Should a waiver of the multi-step proposal solicitation process not be granted, the City will be required to post an additional Request for Proposal RFP to select and contract with an equipment vendor, prior to the Department reaching the $250,000 spending limit affiliated with the current contract. The RFP process will begin in April 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
Initial funds for the purchasing agreement Bauer are available for FY 2025-26 in the Fire Department’s Fund: General Purpose (1010), Project: Administrative (1000009), Organization:
Support Services (20816), and Program: Emergency Response Support Services (PS26).
Funding for future fiscal years may continue to draw from these same sources or may be provided through separate appropriations during the FY 2026-27 Midcycle and the Biennial Budget adoptions.
Table 1: Ongoing Funding
Funding Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total
GPF 1010 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $1,000,000
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No public outreach is required for the acceptance of this resolution.
COORDINATION
The Fire Department coordinated with the Finance Department and the Oakland City Attorney’s Office in the development of this agenda report and related resolution.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Purchase Agreement with Bauer Compressors, Inc.
Date: April 20, 2026 Page 4
Public Safety Committee
May 12, 2026
RACE AND EQUITY
By having access to a SCBA vendor in Northern California, the Fire Department will continue to serve and ensure the safety to all the city of Oakland residents and particularly its most vulnerable populations.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends The City Council Adopt A Resolution: Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Purchase Agreement With Bauer Compressors Inc. For The Purchase, Service, And/Or Repair Of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Units, And Complete Repairs To Turnout Gear Cleaning Extractors, For A Three Year Period In An Amount Not Exceed Six Hundred Thousand ($600,000), With An Two One-Year Options To Extend The Agreement For Up To An Additional Two Years In An Amount Not To Exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) Per Year, Without Returning To Council, For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) Over The Possible Five Year Term; And (2) Waiving The Advertising And Competitive Bidding Requirements.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Deputy Chief Demond Simmons at [email protected]
Respectfully submitted,
Damon Covington
Fire Chief