REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 1, 2026
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Purchase of One Armored Rescue Vehicle
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize the purchase of one armored rescue vehicle, to assist in resolving critical incidents throughout the County, in the amount of $531,000.
2. Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue a purchase order, including a non-standard term, to Lenco Industries, Inc., for the purchase of one armored rescue vehicle, in the amount of $531,000.
3. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments to the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s 2026-27 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director, 387-0640)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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 this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s (Department) 2026-27 budget includes $484,489 in Discretionary General Funding allocated for the purchase of one armored rescue vehicle. Due to price increases, the Department requests to process a budget adjustment to account for the remaining $46,511 necessary to complete the purchase.
The Department requests the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector post the following adjustments to the 2026-27 budget, as detailed below:
|
Cost Center |
Commitment Item/GL |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
4430001000 |
52002135 |
Special Department Expense |
Decrease |
$46,511 |
|
4430001000 |
54504050 |
Vehicles |
Increase |
$46,511 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the County, and to 14 contract cities and one Indian Tribe. In support of these services, the Department’s Specialized Enforcement Division (SED) is routinely called to resolve critical incidents throughout the County. SED is tasked with the service of elevated and high-risk warrants involving armed suspects or performing rescue operations. The Department utilizes armored rescue vehicles (ARV) to accomplish these tasks. The protective capabilities of the ARVs are required during most SED operations. The vehicles serve several purposes, including transporting equipment and employees to incidents, evacuating citizens and law enforcement personnel, and protecting injured persons while immediate medical aid is rendered.
Lenco Industries, Inc.’s (Lenco) quote for the ARV includes a term that deviates from the standard County contract terms as follows:
The payment terms are Net 30 days.
• The County standard payment terms are Net 60 days with no interest or late payment penalties.
• Potential Impact: County standard processing time is 60 days or more. Failing to pay Lenco in 30 days may result in a material breach of the quote’s terms, which could allow Lenco to terminate the purchase and seek other legal remedies, which would exceed the quote’s amount.
The Department recommends approval of the purchase of the ARV, including the non-standard term, as it will support operations that are carried out to resolve critical incidents throughout the County, providing for the safety, health, and social service needs of county residents.
PROCUREMENT
On April 5, 2022, Request for Proposal (RFP) No. SHR122-ADMSR-4545 was approved and released through the County’s electronic Procurement Network (ePro) for the provision of a new ARV. The RFP was posted for 21 days, and 65 registered vendors were contacted via email notifications; Lenco, located in Pittsfield, MA, was the only respondent. Subsequently, two purchase orders were issued to Lenco: Purchase Order No. 4100248248 on May 13, 2022, for one ARV in the amount of $394,046, and Purchase Order No. 4100386716 on December 5, 2024, for one ARV in the amount of $484,489. The Department reached out to Lenco for a quote on the current price of a new ARV and received a quote on July 30, 2026.
The Department currently has four Lenco-built ARVs assigned to SED and is recommending a non-competitive procurement with Lenco in order to maintain standardization with existing equipment to facilitate SED’s personnel training and operation of the ARVs. The ARVs are highly specialized vehicles and Lenco is a recognized supplier to the United States military and most major law enforcement agencies in the country. Lenco’s specifications are proprietary, and they do not have a distributor network or any outside sales agents. The Purchasing Department supports this non-competitive procurement based on form, fit, and function of Lenco’s ARVs.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 10, 2026; Purchasing (Jason Cloninger, Lead Buyer, 387-0321) on August 10, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, General Accounting Manager, 382-7022) on August 10, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on August 14, 2026.