AGENDA #4g
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Award of Bid for Tower 71 Replacement
DATE: October 10, 2005
The purpose of this report is to recommend purchase of a 100-foot Mid-Mount Aerial Tower Apparatus for use by the Fire Department based on the bid of KME Fire Apparatus, Inc. at a cost of $810,004.
Funding for this purchase is included in the Vehicle Replacement Fund established by the Council.
This fire truck will replace Tower 71, a 14 year old aerial fire truck that will be removed from the Fire Department fleet and sold through auction. The budget for the new aerial fire apparatus is included in the Vehicle Replacement Fund. The truck will serve as the primary responding unit from Fire Station #3 located at the intersection of E. Franklin Street and N. Elliott Road. Delivery time for this type of fire truck is 320-380 calendar days from the time of order.
DISCUSSION
The fire truck was designed by Fire Department personnel to meet specific fire protection needs for rescuing victims from locations beyond the reach of ground ladders, to apply elevated water streams to extinguish a fire and to meet the requirements set forth by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) for aerial truck equipment and capabilities. The Fire Apparatus Specification Committee designed an aerial truck with a 100-foot ladder platform, an on-board 250 gallon water tank, a full complement of ground ladders and with equipment and hose needed to suppress fires and respond to other emergencies.
Attachment 1 summarizes the three bids the Town received. All three bids submitted met the four main requirements established by the Fire Chief. Sutphen Fire Apparatus submitted a bid of $893,161 and took 15 exceptions to the bid specifications. American LaFrance submitted a bid of $862,490 and took five (5) exceptions. KME submitted the lowest bid of $852,059 and took two (2) exceptions. The two exceptions dealt with the interior cab color and the type of water pump. Both of these exceptions are considered minor and do not alter the intent of the bid specification.
General Statute 143-129B authorizes the Town of Chapel Hill to enter into negotiations with the lowest, responsive bidder if their bid is in excess of funds available for the purchase of the fire truck. In order to make the purchase within budgetary limitations, staff entered into negotiations with the representative of KME and deleted non-essential dealer-supplied equipment. The equipment reduction did not affect the fire unit’s functionality or design. This reduction lowered the original bid by $42,055 from of $852,059 to $810,004.
Specifications and bid notices were distributed to eleven (11) vendors in North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Notice to Bidders was published in The Chapel Hill News on Sunday, July 24, 2005. Three (3) bids were received and opened on Wednesday, August 31, 2005. The bids received were as follows:
|
Vendor |
Bid |
|
|
|
|
KME Fire Apparatus One Industrial Complex, Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania 18240
|
$852,059 |
|
Sutphen 7000 Columbus-Marysville Road, Amlin, Ohio 43002-0158
|
$893,161 |
|
American LaFrance Corporation 8500 Palmetto Commerce Parkway, Ladson, South Carolina 29456
|
$862,490 |
The bid by KME Fire Apparatus, Inc. is the lowest responsive bid.
That the Council adopt the attached resolution awarding the bid for a Mid-Mount Aerial Tower Apparatus to KME Fire Apparatus, Inc. for the negotiated bid price of $810,004.
1. Tower 73 Bid Specification Grading Sheet (p. 4)