HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/28/1999 - STAFF REPORTS (8) Date: July 28, 1999
To: City Council
From: Fire Chief
AWARD LEASE/PURCHASE OF TWO(2)FIRE ENGINES
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council award the lease/purchase of two (2) fire
engines from Pierce Fire Apparatus, Pierce Manufacturing Inc., in an amount not to
exceed $650,000.00 including sales tax and applicable discounts offered by the
manufacturer, participating in a competitively bid contract awarded by the City of
Los Angeles, the lease/purchase will be administered through the Master Lease
Agreement program via the California Statewide Communities Development
Authority, an agency sponsored by the League of California Cities and the
California State Association of Counties (CaLease).
BACKGROUND:
The City Council approved the lease/purchase of two aerial fire trucks on October
21, 1999. The trucks are in the final production phase at Pierce Manufacturing and
scheduled to be delivered in early September. One of the new trucks will replace a
buck which was removed from service in 1995 (1978 American La France). A
1964 Seagrave fire engine was retired from service in 1997, and a 1972 Crown
Telesqrt fire engine (TS444-R) will be retired upon delivery of the second new
aerial truck. 1
The need for fire apparatus replacement is not dependent solely on the age of the
unit. A unit's routine workload, its physical condition, and the amount of
preventative maintenance it has received during its lifetime tend to be better
indicators of whether the apparatus is still dependable for first-line duty. First-line
service of 10 to 15 years is considered normal for fire engines that are used daily in
moderate to heavy response areas. First-line fire engines must respond to many
routine auto accident calls, medical aid calls, brush fires, and rubbish fires as well
as perform long-duration pumping operations at structure fires. These activities
take their toll on the chassis, body, engine, driveline, and pump. Apparatus that
continues to operate efficiently but has exceeded its first-line life can be placed in
reserve status for an additional number of years.
The proposed new fire engines would replace a 1981 Emergency One (E445) and a
1983 Grumman (E443). Recently, the reliability of the fire engines that were
acquired between 1989 and 1992 (Beck) has become a concern. Staffing levels
have dictated that we operate fire engines on all service calls. Up until the early
1990's the Department was able to respond to some service calls with light-attack
units-- reducing some wear on the heavier fire engines. Over the past eight years,
the calls for service have increased 18 percent. The Beck fire engines now have
between 60,000 and 80,000 miles, and are experiencing metal fatigue on the sub-
frame components, body rust, frequent power train repairs, and body damage. The
engines are requiring a power plant overhaul before 80,000 miles, due to frequent
cold starts, short operating duration, and the high operating RPM demanded of the
diesel engines. Diesel engines are most efficient when operated for long periods
and optimum RPM. Fire department operations demand the high power output for
response and pump operations.
..SA
New fire engines are built-to-order, and it will take between ten and fifteen months
for delivery from the date the order is placed with the manufacturer. To illustrate
this, City Council approved the lease/purchase of Truck 441 (T441) and Truck 442
(T442) on October 21, 1998, and delivery is anticipated in early September 1999
(10+months). The primary features of the proposed fire engines are: Pierce raise-
roof Dash 2000 pumped, 430 HP Detroit series 60 diesel engine, Allison
HD4060PR transmission, 1500 GPM single-stage pump, 500 gallon water tank,
and a foam system.
The City of Los Angeles bid for fire engines has been piggy-backed for the
proposed acquisition of the two new fire engines. The contract expires on
September 1, 1999. The City of San Bernardino recently acquired eleven new
Pierce fire apparatus through the City of Los Angeles contract. San Bernardino will
soon be placing an order for additional fire apparatus, and it will further benefit
both municipalities if a cooperative contract administration process is pursued
between San Bernardino and Palm Springs. Standardization is important for the
operation and servicing of the proposed equipment. Pierce Manufacturing Inc. has
recently established a western service center for contract maintenance and parts in
the City of Ontario. It should also be noted that Pierce owns Oshkosh Trucks, and
all of the rescue-firefighting (ARFF) trucks serving the Palm Springs International
Airport are Oshkosh brand.
The Motor Vehicle Replacement Fund(MVR)has not kept pace with the increasing
cost of this specialized equipment. Paying cash for these vehicles would place a
substantial burden on the cash reserves of the City's MVR fund. The Master Lease
Agreement(CaLease) will be utilized for this transaction (10-year term).
The Procurement Manager,pursuant to the requirements of Municipal Code Section
3.12.270.6, finds that the competitive process conducted by the City of Los
Angeles Bid #kM2751, for the proposed purchase is adequate to protect the public
interest and that the proposed cost of the equipment is likely to be less through the
proposed cooperative purchase than could be attained through the City's
independent purchase process. A copy of the City of Los Angeles award
documents is on file at the City Clerk's office.
SUMMARY:
To maintain fire/rescue readiness and be prepared for the next ISO (Insurance
Service Office) grading in 2002 we must replace two first-line fire engines. We
will remove from service two existing fire engines (18 and 20 years old in 2001)
upon delivery of the new engines. The Master Lease Agreement (CaLease) will be
amended to include the lease/purchase of the proposed new fire engines.
The following table summarizes the retention schedule for fire apparatus:
PRESENT
UNIT ACQUIRED AGE RESERVE RETIRE/AGE REPLACE
E445 1981 18 1999 2001/20 2001*
E443 1983 16 1999 2001/19 2001*
E442 1988 11 2001 2005/16 2005
E444 1989 11 2001 2005116 2005
TS443 1990 9 1999 2008/18 2008
E441 1992 7 2005 2010/18 2010
TS444-R 1972 27 Reserve 1999/27 1999
T441 1999** 0 2011 2017/18 2017
T442 1999** 0 2011 2017/19 2017
Footnote:
* Replaced by this proposed action
** Anticipate delivery in early September
0 0
Fire Chief
A PROVED
DECLINED
Procurement Manager
r
APPROVED: (a;
City Manager
ATTACHMENT:
Minute Order
6W3
�! J
MINUTE ORDER NO.
APPROVING THE LEASEIPURCHASE OF TWO (2)
FIRE ENGINES FROM PIERCE FIRE APPARATUS,
PIERCE MANUFACTURING INC., NOT TO
EXCEED $650,000.00 INCLUDING SALES TAX
AND APPLICABLE DISCOUNTS OFFERED BY
THE MANUFACTURER, THROUGH CALEASE.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that this Minute Order, approving the lease/purchase of two (2) fire
engines from Pierce Fire Apparatus, Pierce Manufacturing Inc., in an amount not to exceed
$650,000.00, including sales tax and applicable discounts offered by the manufacturer,
through CaLease, was adopted by the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California
in a meeting thereof held on July 28, 1999.
PATRICIA A. SANDERS
City Clerk