City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 12, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.G
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Anuj Gupta, Director of Transportation, Department of Transportation, Transit Maintenance
Subject: Approve Agreement with Fire Apparatus Solutions for Fire Department Apparatus Original Equipment Manufacturer Parts and Service Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) and a finding of no possibility of significant effects pursuant to Section 15061 (b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Fire Apparatus Solutions (FAS) to provide Original Equipment Manufacturer parts and services for medium and heavy-duty Kovatch Mobile Equipment fire apparatus for the Fire Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.250 (b) and is for a total amount not to exceed $650,000 over a five-year period with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The Santa Monica Fire Department’s fleet of heavy and medium-duty apparatus consists of 13 vehicles manufactured by Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corporation (KME) that require routine maintenance and repairs to keep these vehicles operating in a reliable and safe condition. These vehicles experience normal wear during their duties, and Santa Monica Department of Transportation (DOT) staff perform repairs and maintenance to keep the fire apparatus in good operating condition. KME—the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)—has established a network of authorized dealers to provide OEM parts and repair services, and Fire Apparatus Solutions (FAS) is the only authorized dealer in the State of California. The award of this contract to FAS is based 2 of 4
on an exception to the competitive bid process (ECB #391), which has been approved by the Procurement Manager, and would enable DOT staff to perform routine maintenance repairs on Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) heavy-duty apparatus to support their continued operation. Staff recommends that a contract be awarded to FAS for OEM parts for the City’s fleet of KME Fire apparatus in an amount not to exceed $650,000 over a five-year period.
Discussion
SMFD’s fleet of heavy-duty apparatus requires regular maintenance and repairs to continue operating in a safe and reliable condition. DOT staff perform regular maintenance and repairs using genuine OEM parts to ensure proper vehicle performance and to ensure warranty claims can be made when components fail prematurely. KME is the manufacturer of SMFD’s heavy-duty fire apparatus including pump and ladder trucks and works through its network of authorized dealers to provide parts and repair service support. FAS is the only KME authorized dealer for parts and warranty repair services in California, and is the only vendor that can provide the proprietary parts, hardware and service needed to repair and maintain the City’s fleet of 13 KME Fire apparatus.
SMFD’s heavy-duty apparatus are complex vehicles with hundreds of parts and are custom built to City specifications. Replacement parts are needed to maintain these vehicles in accordance with OEM specifications to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operation. Parts that are proprietary to KME include exterior body panels, pump replacement parts, interior cabinetry components, multiplex electrical system components and software, switch panels, engine radiators, fans, suspension parts, electronic modules, and specialty relays, and are only available through KME’s authorized dealer, FAS. Additionally, FAS is the only dealer in California authorized to make warranty repairs to KME apparatus. The sole source award to FAS would allow DOT staff to perform routine maintenance and repairs needed to maintain SMFD’s heavy-duty apparatus fleet in good operating condition and would allow FAS to perform repairs to SMFD apparatus as required by the City.
Vendor Selection
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Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommend Fire Apparatus Solutions to provide OEM parts and warranty service for the City's fleet of heavy-duty apparatus as an exception to competitive bidding per the Procurement Manager approved ECB #391 pursuant to Muni Code 2.24.250 (b). b.
when a good or service is copyrighted, patented or only available from one license holder, including, proprietary goods, original equipment manufacturers and/or exclusive distributors;
Environmental Review
The contract for Fire Department heavy-duty apparatus parts and warranty service is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) and Section 15061 (b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Section 15301 exempts Class 1 (Existing Facilities) projects from CEQA, which includes the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The furnishing of OEM parts and service for SMFD heavy-duty apparatus would not result in any modifications to existing maintenance facilities and would not expand or materially change existing maintenance operations or increase the City’s fleet of heavy-duty apparatus. Therefore, this is categorically exempt as set forth in Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines. Additionally, the contract is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061 (b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that CEQA does not apply “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 contract would provide replacement parts and service and would not have a physical impact on the environment.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the General Fund to award a contract with Fire Apparatus Solutions to provide OEM parts and warranty service for the City’s fleet of KME heavy-duty Fire apparatus.
Contract Request
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FY 2025-26
Request Amount Future Years Amount Department Account # Total Contract Amount $21,667 $628,333 01190001.529470 $650,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: David Nanjo, Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. FAS Levine Act
B. FAS Oaks