To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Motor Grader Rental for Fire Road Maintenance Operations
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a purchase order with Apex Rents, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $95,000 for the rental of one Cat 140M3 motor grader to maintain and resurface fire roads throughout Contra Costa County for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Budgeted. 100% CCCFPD General Operating Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The Fire District has maintained fire roads throughout Contra Costa County for more than 40 years. These fire roads are critical infrastructure used by the Fire District in emergencies. Annual maintenance is performed in the spring to repair damage caused by winter rains. As spring arrives, tall grasses grow along roadways, making them impassable and hazardous. When dry, grasses become extremely slippery, and ungraded roads may conceal hazards such as washouts, ruts, and holes.
Motor graders are the appropriate equipment to safely and effectively resurface fire roads. Proper maintenance requires a two-pass grading method in which soil is first moved from the inside of the road to the outside, and then returned from the outside back toward the inside. This process removes vegetation from the driving surface and ensures a consistent, finished roadbed. Motor graders are specifically designed to resurface roads and create a safe, stable travel surface. Additionally, their articulated design allows them to maneuver effectively on narrow, steep, and winding fire roads.
Historically, two motor graders were required to perform this work simultaneously. However, the District now owns one motor grader and therefore only needs to rent one additional grader to complete the two-pass grading process. Motor graders remain essential for this work because they are purpose-built for road construction and maintenance, can cover large distances efficiently, and enable the District to maintain several hundred miles of fire roads within a limited seasonal window. They also allow for necessary repairs to damaged road sections and for adjustment of road camber to properly manage runoff in advance of fall rains. The purchase order includes funds to cover potential costs of damage to the rented grader.
This agreement includes indemnification and limitation-of-liability provisions.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this item is not approved, the Fire District will be unable to complete spring maintenance of fire roads in a timely manner. Without an additional rented motor grader to supplement the District-owned grader, critical grading work will be delayed or incomplete. This may result in unsafe or impassable roads, reduced emergency access, increased risk to personnel, and higher future repair costs due to deferred maintenance.