Federal rules require recognized Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat) response teams to have certain equipment, supplies and training for responding to chemical, biological and radiological incidents.  Montana has organized six (6) regional Haz-Mat teams, but none of them possess all of the federally required equipment and supplies.  The Billings Fire Department’s Haz-Mat team members submitted a grant application to acquire the needed equipment and supplies.  The funds come from the federal Office of Homeland Security and are passed through to local governments by the State of Montana.  The funds will allow the Haz-Mat teams to obtain railroad tank car derailment emergency response kits, Advanced Life Support (ALS) defibrillators, oxygen, CO and pulse monitors and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) supplies to accompany the equipment.  Billings will accept and administer the grant funds and will buy and distribute to the other five (5) Haz-Mat teams the equipment and supplies identified in the grant.  Fire Department staff are asking the Billings City Council to accept the grant and to approve purchasing railroad tank car derailment emergency response kits and the ALS defibrillators for the six regional Haz-Mat teams. 
 

The City Council may:

• Accept the grant and approve purchasing the railroad car derailment emergency response kits and the ALS defibrillators for distribution to the regional Haz-Mat teams, or;
• Not accept the grant.  Without the grant funds, the federally required equipment will not be purchased at this time and funding will be requested in future annual budgets.

City policy requires that the City Council approve submitting grant applications or accept grant awards before adjusting the City’s budget to account for the funds.  There is no local match required for this grant.  The City of Billings will purchase the approved equipment and supplies and distribute them to the other regional Haz-Mat teams, after which it will request reimbursement from the grant.  The total grant amount is $353,175.05, which is the estimated cost for all equipment and supplies.  Fire Department staff are requesting that Council approve purchasing part of the equipment because its cost exceeds the Administrator’s purchasing limit of $50,000. The City of Billings did not competitively bid the two items that staff recommends.  The railroad tank car emergency response kit is the one required by the Burlington Northern – Santa Fe Railroad and there is a sole source vendor for the kit.  The defibrillator was competitively bid by the State of Montana and the chosen vendor is approved for purchasing by local governments.  State law exempts both of these types of purchases from the competitive bidding process.    
The remaining ALS/EMS equipment and supplies will be purchased later using the appropriate competitive process, as outlined in state law and the City’s Purchasing Procedures.  Staff will request that the Council approve those purchases at that time if the total cost exceeds $50,000.

Staff recommends that the City Council act as follows, on behalf of the six (6) Montana regional Haz-Mat teams:
Accept the grant of $353,175.05 from the State of Montana for purchasing Haz-Mat equipment and supplies;
Approve purchasing six (6) railroad tank car derailment emergency response kits for $8,923 each and shipping costs of $2,700 for a total of $56,238, and;
Approve purchasing six (6) LifePak 15 V4 defibrillators for $36,278.56 each, or a total of $217,671.36.