CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Approve the award of Cooperative Procurement 19-288, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Equipment, to Municipal Emergency Services for an amount not to exceed $1,250,000
body
DEPARTMENT: Fire Department
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Puknaitis, Chief
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
One of the most important pieces of equipment for a firefighter is the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which provides them with breathing air when performing firefighting duties. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) outlines standards relating to this equipment. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) also has standards relating to this equipment, which they update regularly to ensure all SCBA are meeting the highest safety requirements and regulations.
The Fire Department anticipated this update and has been planning for this purchase for multiple years. An internal SCBA committee was formed to collect information and provide a recommendation. In April 2019, vendors provided an on-site demonstration of their respective units which Fire Department personnel tested in three days of live fire training. The vendors also provided two demonstration units that were rotated to the ten fire stations for a one-week period until all stations had an opportunity to evaluate the packs. A survey was provided to Fire Department employees to collect feedback on the evaluations. The SCBA committee also contacted other fire departments and conducted on-site visits to other departments to learn about their satisfaction levels of the equipment. In August 2019, the committee provided recommendations to senior staff.
The SCBA committee and senior staff recommended the Scott brand 5500psi platform with a 30-minute cylinder, selected for employee safety due to it being lightweight and having a reduced bottle profile. The low air alarm activates at 33% instead of the current 25%. The Scott brand equipment wi...
Click here for full text