August 26, 2025
Fire Department
DATE: August 26, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Aaron Osorio, Fire Chief
Rico Rincon, Deputy Fire Chief
Den Mark Marcelo, Administrative Services Coordinator
Subject:
Contract Amendment No. 2 with Bay Marine Boatworks
dba Svendsen’s Bay Marine for Repair and Maintenance
Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $300,000 contract amendment will increase the total not-to-exceed amount to $600,000.
Funding is included within the fiscal year 2025-2026
budget, Fire Department (Account String: 01204022-
400501).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
October 22, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Fire Department fire boat “Victory” is a
critical asset in the department’s ability to effectively respond to water-based emergencies. Currently, fire boat “Victory” is undergoing repairs. However, due to years of deferred maintenance, the initial repair costs have been higher than anticipated. The vessel is now close to being fully operational and it is imperative to continue and
maintain project momentum.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE the first amendment to the contract with Bay
Marine Boatworks dba Svendsen’s Bay Marine to
increase the limit by $300,000, for a total contract amount not to exceed $600,000, to continue the repair and
maintenance of Richmond Fire Boat “Victory” – Fire
Department (Chief Aaron Osorio 510-307-8021/Rico
Rincon 510-307-8041/Den Mark Marcelo 510-307-8038).
AGENDA
REPORT
August 26, 2025
DISCUSSION:
The Richmond Fire Department (“Department”) fire boat callsign "Victory" is a crucial asset playing a vital role in water-based emergency response operations, including firefighting and marine incident management. Fire boat "Victory" is a 37-foot dual jet drive catamaran hulled vessel, built in 2013, powered by two Cummins diesel engines.
The vessel is outfitted with a fire pump capable of flowing 3,000 gallons of water per minute for firefighting purposes. Additionally, the boat is equipped with technology, including Lowrance Radar, Lowrance Sonar, GPS, FLIR Infrared Camera, High- Intensity Search Lights, and a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear) Positive Pressure Filtration System in its cabin.
On October 22, 2024, the City of Richmond approved a sole-source contract with Bay Marine Boatworks dba Svendsen’s Bay Marine (“Vendor”) for a total contract amount not to exceed $300,000, to repair and maintain fire boat “Victory.” The vendor's original quote to the department is based on preventative maintenance, estimated repairs from the exterior inspection of the vessel, as well as testing to assess the functionality of the equipment installed onboard. Additional costs were anticipated once the boat was hauled out of the water, as well as from the removal of parts and inspection of the engine and fire pump.
Due to years of insufficient and deferred maintenance, the upfront costs to repair and restore the vessel back to service are higher because of its overall poor condition. The following work was completed on the boat over the past year:
Sandblast and paint underwater body and freeboard due to holes, corrosion, and hull’s poor condition.
Replace port and starboard heat exchange and aftercoolers due to leaks caused by corrosion.
Repair port and starboard Hamilton jet drives due to broken parts, leaks, excessive corrosion, and salt build up.
Clean salt build up below port and starboard engine and fuel tank Mechanically prepare and repair port and starboard engine and fuel tank compartments
Replace inoperable FLIR
Repair inoperable fire pump parts needed to do functionality testing
It is important to note that Richmond Fire Boat “Victory” has never undergone preventive maintenance throughout its life, which has contributed to higher upfront repair costs. While only oil changes were performed by the City shop, no formal assessments, maintenance, or repairs were conducted by professional boat technicians. As a result, additional repairs are now required to bring the boat back into service, including the completion of the fire pump repair, which is essential for water- based firefighting operations.
August 26, 2025
The Department intends to amend the contract with the vendor to continue ongoing repairs on the vessel, with the goal of restoring it to seaworthy condition and returning it to active service. The vendor will continue to repair mechanical and structural issues that have been identified during the inspection process before the boat can be returned to service (Attachment 2).
In accordance with this matter, City staff has updated the sole source documentation to reflect the adjusted contract limit (Attachment 3). The contract limit will be increased by $300,000, for a total contract amount not to exceed $600,000. It is imperative that the City Council approve this request as the long-term cost benefits of maintaining a fully operational fireboat far outweigh the immediate expenses. Lastly, neglecting these issues would compromise the effectiveness and safety of emergency response efforts in water-related incidents.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The service contract with Bay Marine Boatworks dba Svendsen’s Bay Marine is vital to the effectiveness and safety of emergency response efforts in water-related incidents. It also aligns with the goals and priorities set by the City Council to improve public safety and enhance operational efficiency.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Contract Amendment
Attachment 2 – Sole Source Justification