CITY OF RIALTO
SOLE SOURCE/STANDARDIZATION VENDOR REQUEST
VENDOR: Bio-Tox Laboratories, Inc.
ADDRESS: 1965 Chicago Avenue, Suite C, Riverside, CA 92507 REQUSITION NUMBER:
Standardization: The City requires the items) to standardize parts, design quality, etc. (explain in more detail below).
Sole Source: No other items are known to exist which perform the same function.
Proprietary: The item is held under exclusive title, trademark or copyright by a private person or company; or a proprietary distributorship.
1. Describe the product/service:
Forensic toxicology services, including multi-panel drug and alcohol testing, quantitative confirmations by LC/MS/MS, forensic alcohol analysis, and comprehensive toxicology panels coverina more than 200 brescription and illicit druas.
2. Describe how the product or service is unique and/or one of a kind:
Bio-Tox is the only laboratory in the region capable of providing a full spectrum of forensic toxicology services specifically tailored to the Rialto Police Department's needs.
3. Is the product or service available from other sources? No. While other laboratories exist in California, none within San Bernardino County are capable of providing the breadth of services required by the Rialto Police Department.
4. Can your requirements be modified so that competitive products or services may be used? Please explain:
No. The Department's requirements cannot be moditied without compromising evidentiary integrity, operational efficiency, and legal compliance.
5. Submit a detailed memo explaining the steps taken to determine this is a sole source vendor and justify the need.
See attached.
mason. It of
Date: 08/25/2025
Approvals:
Gork
epartment Hea Shantime
City Manager
Revised - July 2025
CHIER
RIALTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
RIALTO POLICE
TO: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Mark Kling, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Bio-Tox Laboratories Inc. Sole Source
DATE: August 25, 2025
Since July 2000, the Rialto Police Department has contracted with Bio-Tox Laboratories, Inc. to provide toxicology and forensic drug screening services in support of our operations. These services include multi-panel drug testing, forensic alcohol analysis under Title 17 standards, quantitative confirmations by LC/MS/MS, and comprehensive toxicology panels covering more than 200 prescription and illicit substances.
Bio-Tox is uniquely positioned to continue providing these services as the sole source vendor.
The laboratory has long-standing experience working with law enforcement agencies and is the only provider in the region capable of meeting the Rialto Police Department's evidentiary, operational, and time-sensitive needs. Their testing procedures are fully compliant with forensic standards and ensure strict adherence to chain-of-custody requirements, which is essential for the admissibility of evidence in court. Transitioning to another vendor would create unnecessary disruption, as our officers and evidence personnel are fully integrated into Bio-Tox's established submission and reporting protocols. Such a change would risk continuity in active investigations and could expose the City to evidentiary challenges in prosecution.
Additionally, Bio-Tox's ability to provide timely results is critical to both investigative integrity and public safety. The lab's responsiveness enables investigators and prosecutors to act quickly in cases involving impaired driving, narcotics distribution, or other crimes where toxicology findings are pivotal. The loss of this efficiency would compromise case outcomes and operational readiness.
Most recently, on September 10, 2024, the City Council approved a Second Amendment to the Agreement for Services with Bio-Tox Laboratories, Inc., extending the contract through FY 2025/2026 with a total not-to-exceed amount of $350,000. This Council action reaffirms Bio- Tox's role as the City's sole provider of toxicology services and demonstrates the City's ongoing reliance on their expertise for evidentiary testing and expert court testimony.
For these reasons, the continued use of Bio-Tox Laboratories, Inc. qualifies as a sole source procurement under Rialto Municipal Code section 2.48.280. Their services are uniquely suited to the Department's needs, already integrated into our workflows, and essential to maintaining the evidentiary integrity required for successful law enforcement operations.
It is therefore recommended that the City of Rialto continue to contract with Bio-Tox Laboratories, Inc. as a sole source provider of toxicology and forensic drug screening services, ensuring uninterrupted support to police investigations and prosecution efforts.
Prepared by Lieutenant Lamont Quarker
MA