Discussion and possible action on any and all matters regarding the purchase of a new ambulance. (Angel Ramirez, Fire Chief)

Throughout the years, the San Luis Fire Department (SLFD) has been an innovative Fire Department. As the City of San Luis grows, so does the need for public safety. Currently, we have five (5) ambulances on our fleet with one (1) backup unit available. As you may know, vehicles tend to break down or get into accidents. We need to start making this purchase since we had one (1) of our ambulances in an accident. We do not want to get to the summer months and be without an ambulance that can serve as a backup. We have been putting 50,000 miles on every unit every year. We want to stay proactive and always provide the best customer service to our residents.

The SLFD was diligent in trying to get the best ambulance at the right price.  Through the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) agreement, we were able to do just that.   What is HGAC? It is a nationwide, government procurement service striving to make the governmental procurement process more efficient. Units of local government, including non-profits providing governmental services, are eligible to become participating members of the HGACBuy Cooperative. All contracts available to participating members of HGACBuy have been awarded by virtue of a public competitive procurement process compliant with state statutes. The City of San Luis is part of this Cooperative Agreement; other additional benefits of HGAC are as follows:

• HGACBuy offers an expedited procurement process that can eliminate your need for preparing detailed specifications and satisfying all other requirements for competitive bids and proposals.
• HGACBuy offers more than 800 contractors, including many local dealers and authorized resellers.
• HGACBuy gives you access to volume purchasing pricing and discounts.
• HGACBuy has more than 40 years of experience in cooperative purchasing and serves more than six thousand local government agencies across the United States.

The ambulance price will be $228,900, including taxes.

The San Luis Fire Department wants to utilize the purchasing powers available through the Houston-Galveston Area Council contract #AM10-18 under the authority of the San Luis City Code, Chapter 3.05 Purchasing, Section 3.05.090, Cooperative Purchasing and is seeking council approval.