REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 8, 2024
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with Innovative Emergency Equipment for Vehicle Upfitting and Safety Equipment Installation and Removal Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, approve non-competitive agreement with Innovative Design and Sheet Metal Products, Inc. dba Innovative Emergency Equipment for vehicle upfitting and safety equipment installation and removal services, in the amount not-to-exceed $1,500,000, effective retroactively for the period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended contract will not result in the use of Discretionary General Fund (Net County Cost). Sufficient appropriation for this agreement is included in the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s (SBCFPD) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
SBCFPD operates a variety of vehicles and tools to accomplish its mission, including many that are unique with very specialized capabilities and functions. Each year, SBCFPD purchases emergency response vehicles needed to replace vehicles that have outlived their useful lives. The newly purchased vehicles need to be upfitted with emergency lights, sirens, command boxes, and center consoles. Emergency response vehicles include, but are not limited to, sport utility vehicles (SUV), pick-up trucks, and off highway vehicles. These types of vehicles require special equipment that may need to be fabricated, removed and installed, or a combination of both.
SBCFPD has been using Innovative Design and Sheet Metal Products, Inc. dba Innovative Equipment (Innovative) to upfit newly acquired and existing emergency response vehicles with all the necessary equipment needed to help SBCFPD first responders effectively handle any emergency situations. These vehicles require specialized equipment such as emergency lights, sirens, and command boxes to ensure operational consistency and safety. The services provided by Innovative have been essential to maintaining the standardization of SBCFPD’s fleet, which is critical for operational efficiency and effectiveness during emergency responses.
Typically, SBCFPD does not expend more than $200,000 annually on these services, which are procured through as needed non-competitive purchase orders approved by the Purchasing Department (Purchasing).
However, this year SBCFPD has experienced an increase in emergency response calls, requiring additional response vehicles to meet the increased demand. Purchasing has now reached the annual $200,000 threshold that can be approved using as needed purchase orders. Due to the increase in emergency response calls, SBCFPD found it necessary to continue to order upfitting services from Innovative. In August 2024, SBCFPD discovered that it had exceeded $200,000 and has since been working with Purchasing on a solution. Alternative vendors could not be used due to the functional specifications required to maintain standardization with existing emergency response vehicles.
A contract with Innovative is necessary to fulfill payment for the upfitting services already provided and to continue to purchase these upfitting services. The proposed contract is retroactive from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029, as these services are critical to maintaining public safety for emergency responders.
PROCUREMENT
Policy 11-04 requires SBCFPD to seek Board approval when contracting for non-competitive purchases of goods and supplies in excess of $200,000 during a single annual period.
Innovative provides upfitting services that meet the functional specifications required for emergency response vehicles. Over the past several years, SBCFPD has found that alternative vendors were not able to meet the required functional specifications without significantly higher costs, as other vendors would need to purchase specialized equipment from Innovative, leading to additional expenses. Given that Innovative is the direct manufacturer and supplier of the specialized equipment, their services are critical to maintaining the standardization of SBCFPD’s fleet. SBCFPD recommends establishing a non-competitive contract with Innovative since they are the manufacturers and direct supplier of all Innovative equipment. The proposed contract will be effective retroactively from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029, to fulfill payment for upfitting services and supplies.
Purchasing concurs with the non-competitive justification of functional specifications for SBCFPD’s recommended contract with Innovative.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Richard Luczak, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 12, 2024; Purchasing (Alberto Cazares, Buyer II, 387-2463) on September 13, 2024, Finance (Ivan Ramirez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on September 17, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on September 23, 2024.