Consideration and Approval of Cooperative Purchase Contract: Purchase of All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine from Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc. in the amount of $1,017,125.67.

1. Approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract of a new Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine in the amount of $1,017,125.67 from Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc. through Sourcewell utilizing cooperative purchase Contract No. 113021-OKC-1; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.

Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc., is a fully authorized dealer of Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. products such as the All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine. This purchase of an All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine would replace a twenty (22) year old All-Risk fire engine and move it into a reserve status. This also puts a current twenty-four (24) year old reserve fire engine out of service and up for auction.  This unit is part of the FLEET adopted apparatus replacement plan. This new All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine would go into one of the three (3) heaviest call volume districts in the City's central corridor. This also keeps with our fleet rotation program to ensure demand and age are being balanced with replacement units.

The replacement of this specific All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine was approved by the Fleet committee, Budget Team, City Manager and City Council as part of the current fiscal year budget. The approved total amount would be broken into separate payments over two fiscal years to keep within budget. The first up front approved payment is for $425,000 upon completion of this contract. A final payment is then due upon receipt of the unit in FY25-26 for the remaining balance of $592,125.67.

Carbon Neutrality Plan

Funding and replacement was approved as part of the annual FY 2023-24 budget.

1. Approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract for the new Pierce All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine; or
2. Reject the Cooperative Purchase Contract and direct staff to conduct a new procurement process; or
3. Reject approval of the purchase of the new engine and continue response in a twenty-two-year-old All-Risk fire engine.

The national standard for fire engine replacement from front-line service ranges between 10-20 years base on use and typical geographical response. During the recession, the City moved the replacement of engines up to twenty-five (25) years to reduce capital expenses. Currently, Fleet has moved this back to twenty (20) years due to significant maintenance costs and downtime seen by these older units. The Fleet Committee, City Manager's office and Budget Team has voiced a preference to replace our aging engines to get us back on pace for normal twenty 20-year replacement of front line Engines and 25-year replacement of reserves. We have chosen to stay with Pierce as our only fire engine manufacturer due to longevity, quality, maintenance, and overall fleet consistency.

The Purchasing section has reviewed the competitively solicited cooperative purchase options available and confirmed that the Sourcewell Purchasing Cooperative conducted a competitive and open procurement process through Request for Proposal Solicitation No. 113021 that resulted in Contract No. 113021-OKC with Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc. is valid and within the scope of the materials and services requested.
 

The FFD apparatus replacement schedule anticipated saving capital expenses by refurbishing every other engine. We replaced an older fire engine with a new-refurbished engine in FY18. This engine has needed $50k worth or work in the first three (3) years of its life at FFD. In addition, the next two (2) engines identified as possible refurbishment options are both nineteen (19)-years old and Fleet has determined the frames have significant rust damage from the over the road chemicals and are not candidates for refurbishment. Based on these findings, future new engines are recommended to be purchased new.
This represents the final Engine in the five (5)-year plan to get our replacement schedule back on track.  We currently utilize smaller rescue units for the highest call volume districts to reduce to wear and tear on larger fire engines. We also have implemented the co-staffing model to reduce the wear and tear on our most expensive apparatus, known as Quints. This unit continues to be a model down from our normal Pierce fire engine to reduce overall costs, but still maintains consistency in function and maintenance and matches our most recent replacement engines.

Funds for this purchase are available in account # 001-03-051-0203-2-4401 (Rolling Stock-Fleet) and are spread out with $425,000 allocated this FY. 

Purchasing a new All-Risk Velocity Fire Engine allows our response efforts to be consistent in meeting our mission and the community expectations for public safety response. This purchase will also reduce the amount of time we have to put crews responding to emergency incidents in older reserve apparatus due to aging front line units going out of service for mechanical issues.